Co-proxamol

Co-proxamol
Combination of
Dextropropoxyphene	Opioid analgesic
Paracetamol	Non-opioid analgesic
Identifiers
CAS number	39400-85-6
ATC code	?
PubChem	123857
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.	?
Legal status
Routes	Oral

Co-proxamol (BAN, also coproxamol) is a combination of the analgesics dextropropoxyphene (an opioid) and paracetamol.

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) decided in 2005 to withdraw co-proxamol from the market following advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) that co-proxamol is little more effective than paracetamol alone as an analgesic, but that it was associated with higher fatality rates if a drug overdose were intentionally or inadvertently taken. The decision provoked some outcry from long-term users of the drug.

References

• Suicide painkiller withdrawn. The Times (January 31, 2005).
• Painkiller scrapped over suicides. BBC News (January 31, 2005).
• Co-proxamol to be withdrawn from the market. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (31 January 2005).
• Withdrawal of co-proxamol. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (17 January 2007).