Consequences of Restricting Tramadol Dispensing in Iraqi Private Healthcare Facilities

Abstract

Background and aim: Tramadol is a codeine analogue with less analgesic power than morphine but with better abuse potential. However, chronic use is associated with different adverse effects like anxiety, euphoria, nervousness, insomnia, depression, and agitation. In this study, we assessed the outcome behind the restriction on dispensing Tramadol in private health sectors in Iraq. Methods: We look at tramadol data from VigiBase data searches and the Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSR) that are formally supported by the WHO worldwide database. All complaints were evaluated using Vigilyze data mining and computing IC25 to assess the strength of the link between Tramadol and the adverse reactions it causes, as well as to compare them to other records from around the world. Results: For patients who used tramadol in a variety of dose forms, 184 instances were gathered over the course of seven years by the Iraqi Pharmacovigilance Center. There were 32 cases of hyperhidrosis, which occurred when tramadol was used alone, 47 incidents of vomiting, and 67 cases of nausea. Many adverse effects, including chest pain, hyperhidrosis, headache, dyspnea, and constipation, are more common in Iraqi records than in internationally known instances. Other side effects, such as vomiting, hallucination, vertigo, respiratory depression, and chills, were found to be milder than previously reported. There were no deaths in any of the instances that were recorded during this time period. Conclusion: The number of reported tramadol-induced adverse events has fallen significantly, which can be attributed to the ministry of health restricting tramadol dispensing and enabling public hospitals to only dispense it under medical monitoring.