Senior Professor at UI: Tramadol is a Controlled Drug, Cannot be Sold Over-the-Counter
Jakarta — A senior professor and consultant in gastroenterology and hepatology at the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Indonesia’s Medical Faculty and Hospital (FKUI-RSCM), Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, has firmly stated that tramadol is a controlled drug that cannot be sold over-the-counter to the public.
He stated that use of this pain relief medication must be prescribed by a doctor because it carries the risk of causing dependency and abuse.
“This (tramadol) is a controlled drug and requires a doctor’s prescription. It must have a doctor’s prescription. So it cannot be sold over-the-counter,” said Ari when contacted by ANTARA from Jakarta on Wednesday.
He noted that this restriction is implemented because tramadol has the potential to cause dependency or addiction if used improperly. Certain effects of the drug are often reasons for abuse by some individuals.
“Tramadol is a painkiller often used by doctors to treat mild to moderate pain, and is usually combined with paracetamol. But this is also classified as a controlled drug because it is frequently misused and can cause addiction or dependency,” he added.
“Because of its pain-relieving nature, people who previously felt discomfort or unease can immediately feel better. This is what causes this drug to be frequently misused,” he said.
He further noted that continuous use of tramadol without medical supervision can trigger dependency. Once someone has become addicted, the body will continuously “demand” the controlled drug, with consequences that will obviously damage the body.
In numerous studies published on the doi.org platform, the drug has relatively high dependency side effects when misused in consumption, including headache, dizziness, drowsiness, digestive problems, convulsions, weakness, anxiety, difficulty urinating, euphoria, menstrual disturbances, hallucinations, coordination disorders, dermatitis, and many others.
Meanwhile, if tramadol use is not done according to a doctor’s prescription or is done excessively, users face overdose which can cause pupil constriction, cardiac collapse, cardiac arrest, vomiting, respiratory depression, coma, and hypotension.
Because of this, Ari has emphasised the importance of the public understanding that tramadol is not an over-the-counter drug that can be consumed arbitrarily. Use of this medication must go through medical examination and a doctor’s prescription to be safe and appropriate for the patient’s medical needs.