Pregabalin / Lyrica reclassified in class C

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A prescription drug related to 33 deaths in 2017 in Northern Ireland will now be treated as a Class C drug.

Pregabalin, also known as Lyrica brand, is an antiepileptic drug also used to relieve chronic pain.

Northern Ireland has the highest pregabalin prescribing rate in the UK.

It is illegal to have class C drugs without a prescription and illegal to provide them or sell them to others.

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Stricter controls will also be put in place to ensure accountability and minimize the risk that pregabalin will fall into the wrong hands or be stored by patients.

Deaths related to the prescription drug are increasing.

In 2016, eight drug-related deaths were linked to Lyrica's abuse – a year later this number increased to 33.

The Advisory Council on Drug Abuse made the recommendation to reclassify the drug in a letter to ministers, including the then Secretary of the Interior, Theresa May, in January 2016 .

The letter cited warnings from the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), which highlighted "significant abuse and abuse" of the drug.

Where do the drugs come from?

The illicit drug market is growing in Northern Ireland, with many people buying it online on unregulated websites.

It is understood that Lyrica arrives in Northern Ireland at relatively constant levels for a number of years, as have other prescription drugs, including diazepam and temazepam.

Drug packages ordered by Northern Ireland customers are intercepted each week by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the UK Border Agency in England airports, according to the police service. Northern Ireland (PSNI).

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Although drugs are classified as prescription drugs, they are not generally prescribed by community pharmacies.

They are bought, sold or bought illicitly over the Internet and, for the most part, individuals seem to consume a mixture of drugs.

Joe Brogan, head of pharmacy and drug management at HSCB, described the increasing number of deaths associated with pregabalin and other prescription drugs as a "scourge".

He added: "In many cases of pregabalin abuse, it was not prescribed – it was purchased through family or friends, or bought on the street or on the Internet.

"Many of these drugs purchased from illicit sources do not contain drugs they claim to be.

"Any drug or medicine can be a poison – it all depends on three factors: where does it come from – was it prescribed and administered by a regulated source ?, how much do you take – has it been taken with accepted doses? take it with: mixing drugs and alcohol can create a deadly toxic mixture. "