Namibia tightens controls on diet pills

NAMIBIA is to follow the example of South Africa in placing restrictions on the sale of certain appetite suppressants.

Medicines containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and d-nor-pseudoephedrine will no longer be available without prescription if they are reclassified from schedule 2 to schedule 6 drugs. The pack sizes of such drugs will also be limited.The Namibian learned last week that a decision in this regard by the Medicines Control Council of South Africa (MCCSA) will take effect in Namibia by the end of the year.The decision was taken because drug dealers were using ephedrine from legally bought pills to manufacture methamphetamine, which is popularly known as ‘speed’, ‘meth’ or ‘tik’.The MCCSA says on its website that this practice is rapidly increasing in South Africa.”The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) recommended that the controls of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine substances should be expanded to pharmaceutical preparations containing these substances,” it says.In South Africa, the rescheduling also affects medicines for colds and sinusitis that contain ephedrine.This might not be the case here, though.The Registrar of Medicines of the Namibian Medicines Control Council, Johannes Gaeseb, told The Namibian that flu and sinusitis medicines containing variants of ephedrine would remain schedule 2 drugs in Namibia because they were not likely to be abused.This would benefit the less privileged, because they would otherwise have to pay about N$150 to see a doctor to get a prescription for flu medicine that they can now get without prescription.Gaeseb said appetite suppressants such as Nobese and Slims contained pure ephedrine and were often abused as “party drugs” because they keep people awake.Ephedrine is a powerful stimulant that is dangerous for people with high blood pressure and heart problems.Asked why Namibia was following the example of South Africa, Gaeseb said: “We are in the same region.If SA makes it [ephedrine] hard to get, and our laws remain relaxed, those using the substance for illicit drug manufacturing could come to Namibia and stock up, and just take back to SA.”The pack sizes of such drugs will also be limited.The Namibian learned last week that a decision in this regard by the Medicines Control Council of South Africa (MCCSA) will take effect in Namibia by the end of the year.The decision was taken because drug dealers were using ephedrine from legally bought pills to manufacture methamphetamine, which is popularly known as ‘speed’, ‘meth’ or ‘tik’.The MCCSA says on its website that this practice is rapidly increasing in South Africa.”The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) recommended that the controls of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine substances should be expanded to pharmaceutical preparations containing these substances,” it says.In South Africa, the rescheduling also affects medicines for colds and sinusitis that contain ephedrine.This might not be the case here, though.The Registrar of Medicines of the Namibian Medicines Control Council, Johannes Gaeseb, told The Namibian that flu and sinusitis medicines containing variants of ephedrine would remain schedule 2 drugs in Namibia because they were not likely to be abused.This would benefit the less privileged, because they would otherwise have to pay about N$150 to see a doctor to get a prescription for flu medicine that they can now get without prescription.Gaeseb said appetite suppressants such as Nobese and Slims contained pure ephedrine and were often abused as “party drugs” because they keep people awake.Ephedrine is a powerful stimulant that is dangerous for people with high blood pressure and heart problems.Asked why Namibia was following the example of South Africa, Gaeseb said: “We are in the same region.If SA makes it [ephedrine] hard to get, and our laws remain relaxed, those using the substance for illicit drug manufacturing could come to Namibia and stock up, and just take back to SA.”