Drugs control dept launches real-time database for Tapentadol stocks to curb misuse

Bengaluru: In a major step to curb the alleged misuse of Tapentadol, Karnataka’s drugs control department has now opened a real-time database to track the stocks of the “addictive” painkiller. 

The database enables enforcement officers, who must update the portal after collecting stock data from drug distributors every day, tally the demand and supply numbers between wholesalers and retailers and take immediate action if the numbers do not add up, noted Dr Umesh S, State Drugs Controller. 

“Until now, we did not have a track of the quantum of the drugs being supplied from wholesalers to retailers. We are doing this so that the daily updated figures might also make chemists think twice before enabling any misuse,” he told DH. 

Licence holders can also directly upload their stock details using their firm ID. 

“We are monitoring this real time to control the supply of this drug because it is the most-misused among the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. At the end of the day, if we are suspecting any distributors, we can cross-check their details and catch them in the act,” a senior official from the department said. 

Dr Arun Kandasamy, Psychiatry Professor and Chief, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Nimhans, explained that although Tapentadol is an oral drug, people who overuse the drug administer it to themselves via injections to obtain a high. 

“In our 80-bed facility, about 50% of the admissions are of people with Tapentadol addiction. Almost 70% to 80% of them also test positive for Hepatitis C infection as they might be sharing the syringes or containers with the crushed tablets. Many are also first-time drug users and most are aged between 15 and 30 years who access it via the black market,” he said.

The move to track sales will control how much of the drug is made available, potentially discouraging new users and reduce addiction risks, he noted. 

Dr Shivanna Venkataramana, senior anaesthesiologist, noted that this drug is also being used for chronic pain conditions in India, but should be used as a second line of treatment in these conditions and only on doctor’s prescription.

“To my knowledge, there is no strict regulation of this drug in India, so this move (to track its stocks) might help curb some misuse,” he said.