Pubdate: Sat, 07 May 2005
Source: Sunstar Manila (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005, Sunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2304
Author: Ma. Venice Q. Somo, UST intern
Cited: Philippine Dangerous Drugs Board http://www.ddb-ph.com
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

KETAMINE: AN ANESTHETIC TURNED DANGEROUS DRUG

A MEDICINE is meant to cure or alleviate a specific pain or disease.
Any medicine, whether injected, externally applied or orally taken, is
carefully studied by drug experts before they are distributed to the
public. But while medicines are intended to relieve a patient's
condition, it can result in death if misused.

Medicines are categorized not only according to use but also whether
they are hazardous to one's health or not.

This now becomes the major concern of the Dangerous Drugs Board
(DDB).

In the Philippines, the sale of a few drugs like Bextra, Alfentanil,
and Dihydrocodeine has been prohibited in the country due adverse side
effects that a patient may suffer after excessive intake. And just
recently, another drug was added in the record.

DDB discovered that ketamine, an anesthetic, is fast becoming an
abused drug in the country today.

According to Dr. Rommel Garcia, DDB deputy director for
administration, ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic used primarily
in operative procedures. It is injected in the vein in order to
produce analgesia that serves as pain reliever.

Ketamine is also used by anesthesiologists for internal fixation of
bone fractures and in dressing and cleaning of wounds. In some cases,
it is also used by veterinarians on animals.

Garcia said a 30-ml ketamine vial should be given only once in the
whole operating process. Beyond a single dosage, the patient will
eventually suffer several side effects like hallucination, having
undesirable dreams, disturbance in perception, increase in blood and
intra-cranial pressure, a decrease in respiratory rate and even death
if not controlled.

Considering the aid and relief that patients get from ketamine, no
wonder it is among the most reliable anesthetic most doctors trust.
However, since there are reports that ketamine is being abused, the
technical working group on classification and reclassification of
drugs spearheaded by Garcia urged the DDB to include ketamine in the
dangerous drugs list.

The proposal was approved by the DDB board and shall be effective 15
days from publication.

"Ketamine is not prohibited before, until we discovered that is it now
being abused by many. In fact, in December 2003, we confiscated 7,000
ketamine vials and 1kg ketamine powder. And last March, ketamine drugs
amounting to US$3 million were seized in a hotel in Malate," Garcia
added.

Alarmed by the growing ketamine abuse, the group of drug specialists
working under DDB conducted studies, a series of meetings and public
hearings until they came up with a consensus that ketamine ha to be
added in the list of dangerous pharmaceutical products.

The public hearings were attended by professional groups like the
Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Drugstores Association of the
Philippines (DAP), Philippine Association of Pharmacists and
Pharmaceutical Industry (Pappi), and even the academe or the
Association of the Deans of Colleges of Pharmacy.

The inclusion of the anesthetic in the dangerous drugs list doesn't
mean that the sale of ketamine is banned in the country. People can
still purchase the anesthetic provided that they present a valid
prescription from licensed physicians.

Garcia said a certain medicine is only considered dangerous if it is
intended for abuse.

Ketamine stocks in the country are being imported from India where
they are said to be cheapest. Sold at about P300 per vial, only
medical practitioners are authorized to use ketamine in the surgical
operations. 
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