The Aga Khan University on July 2023, said its hospitals have stopped prescribing cough syrup to patients because the side effects outweighs the benefits.
The university said that studies show cough syrup causes vomiting, high blood pressure and elevated heart rate in patients. Other effects were constipation, excessive sleep and hallucinations.
Following the move, a host of insurance companies have indicated that they will not approve cough syrups for medical use. This means insurers will strike out the medicines from lists they pay for.
This decision follows studies that showed the syrups are not effective either for adults or children, with experts warning that the effects outweighs the perceived relief.
“Studies have shown that cough mixtures are ineffective with a warning against the use of cough syrup issued by World Health Organisation... Some cough mixtures could be addictive,” Aga Khan University said in a report.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Dr Edwin Ouma — Mombasa based medic — supported the ban, saying that syrups can cause other ailments.
“It is true that most cough syrups in the market are not only ineffective but they can cause different ailments to the patient,” he said.
Dr Ouma added that while there were types of cough syrup he did not prescribe to patients, he could not put a blanket ban on all of them.
“Some are effective and we prescribe to patients but if the Pharmacy and Poisons Board banned all of them, we would follow the guidelines,” he added.
In January 2023, WHO called for immediate and concerted action to protect children from contaminated medicines after more than 300 children lost their lives in 2022 in cases linked to cough syrups.
This was after studies showed that most cough syrups had high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
“These contaminants are toxic chemicals used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents that can be fatal even taken in small amounts, and should never be found in medicines,” WHO stated then.
