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RESEARCHERS IN WATERFORD Institute of Technology are trying to figure out how to get the best out of codeine – without getting addicted to it.
The €2 million project, launched this week, will look into codeine use, misuse and dependence in Ireland, the UK and South Africa.
WIT is working with King’s College, London and the Medical Research Council in South Africa, as well as a number of chemists, including TV star Ramona Nicholas’ Cara Pharmacy.
An over-the-counter painkiller, cough suppressant and anti-diarrhoeal, codeine is the most-commonly used opiate in the world.
According to the researchers, its abuse potential is a major concern for medics, pharmacists and other treatment providers.
Because of variants in metabolisms, some people can can become physically dependent on codeine after just three days of use.
There is also a large number of sub groups who take codeine products – including pain patients; the elderly; parents and children; and recreational, problematic and opiate dependent drug users – who each have their own motives, patterns and outcomes for use.
It is, then, difficult to come up with perfect safe dosages.
Increases in the number of people seeking treatment for codeine dependency and concerns for appropriate design of treatment protocols have been recorded globally, as a result.
The researchers hope that by examining closely the extent of use, misuse and dependence on the drug in the three countries, they will be able to promote a rational use of problems among the public – and within prescribing and dispensing communities.
“Our main aim is to design several innovations to support and educate customers and empower pharmacies as custodians of codeine medicines,” explained Dr Marie Claire Van Hout, the principal investigator, who has extensive experience in the field of drug addiction.
She noted the importance of having academia and industry working together to improve patient outcomes.
The study is projected to end in September 2017. It will employ a mixed-method approach, such as surveys, data sweeps and literature reviews. There are also one-to-one interviews with codeine users and dependents planned.
“Industry (pharmacy chains) and academia exchanges in the form of secondments of staff, workshops, seminars and conferences will occur throughout the duration of the project so as to collaborate, exchange knowledge and expertise, inform and guide the work,” the project organisers also explained.
“Data will be used to inform the design of innovative outputs in the form of pharmacy based brief interventions and customer monitoring systems, continuing staff training and management of appropriate treatment interventions.”
What a nice way to start the week! Some good news…. finally!
Actual good news. Expect trolls to start abuse…..now.
40 red thumbs for good news. Nobody with the balls to say why. Not happy unless their miserable types probably need a ride.
It’s all a lie getting people to do a weeks work for 20 euro extra on top of there dole does not mean that their working for a proper weeks wage. This tus is a government scam.
And here come the begrudgers, no doubt. How sad it is that it is the default position of so many people on here to greet good news like this with cynicism and evident disappointment purely because it contradicts their “the end is nigh, blame the Government” narrative. Such a dark place to be.
I think they chose a nice picture of Richard for the article, he looks pleased and content and has a nice round bow tie.
One shouldn’t dare to have a critical mindset, lest one attract the dreaded label of ‘begrudger’. Sure if IBEC says there’s good news, it must be true.
Dietrich you are spot on ,take anything this government or any of its institutions says with a pinch of salt you are being sucked in by deception they only have their own interests at heart ,the political classes.
@Touchy.. I could possibly fit into the ‘begrudger” category you state, however to fight my corner I would usually be begrudging due to the fact the way the news is reported more than what it was trying to say. Usually its unemployment figures, however in this case they are actually showing employment figures on the rise, which is not just good news, but good new reporting, as its not trying to cloud the data with emigration, FAS courses and the like.
You can hardly argue with the fact there are more people in employment, hence more tax revenue for the government and hopefully less paying out on Dole cheques.
Drop the higher Vat rate to 20%. Scrap USC. Will create thousands of jobs in retail. Will kick start the local economy. Get Ireland moving again.
Fully agree. Now is the time to take chances while there are signs of a recovery to help boost that recovery.
Reduce VAT rate in construction/ building to 9%. 1 in 4 people on the dole are from the construction industry. A reductuon will help thousands get back to work.
unless the reductions are passed onto customers it will have no effect, it will just mean business making more profit
Its clear not all business passed on the last reduction in vat
Agree 100% but to drop VAT we must drop public spending. Income tax also needs to drop.
If they would only extract the CE, Jobsbridge, FAS courses, etc then we would havecactrue picture.
Having said that looking back over past weeks there does seem to be jobs (proper ones) coming up.
135,000 people are doing CE scheme, FAS courses and Jobsbridge.
Ok Lads lets deflect attention from this bloody referendubbbb
I concur with the comments about revealing the true figures. A lot of people I know that are long term unemployed have been pushed into education in September. While this is welcome, please give us a true unemployment figure. I reckon as many as 10,000 have been taken off job seekers and placed on education courses.
Ah a lovely bit of ambiguity to start the week off
34,000. How many full time jobs in that? How many off the dole. Emigration still soaring. Hardly positive when you look past the spin.
Why is IBEC called the employers group and not a union which they are?
Because that way they can espouse exploitation as ‘partners’ and not just as sh!thawks and vultures!!
Job bridge isn’t a job
That’s why they call it Job “Bridge” it’s a scheme for people to train and gain experience to later become employed. A lot of jobs today require that the applicant would have some experience working in that field, in some cases 2 years. It actually has been shown to be a success with over 60% of interns going on to find employment.
Richard looks like a simpleton.
Richard has a lovely smile, the dear boy!
Whew, the spin has me feeling dizzy.
That vat thing cost hundreds of millions in taxes each year , lets face it the low wage, part time seasonal jobs that where created where down to increased tourist numbers not a reduction in vat rate that was almost immediately pocketed by employers. Even noonan implied it wasn’t worth it(cost>benefit)
have your say