Cough syrup cocktail: Pharmacy denies allegations against it
Pharmacy said they stopped selling popular brand of cough syrup due to abuse.
A Witpoortjie pharmacy against which allegations of selling codeine-containing cough syrup to school children who abuse it were levelled, has denied the allegations.
At this stage, the Record does not want to name the pharmacy, because the comments were obtained from a junior employee and not a manager or the owner.
Read the initial article here:
https://roodepoortrecord.co.za/2018/11/15/is-cough-syrup-cocktail-addiction-rampant-in-witpoortjie/
It was alleged by the aunt of a boy in a well-known high school in the area that the pharmacy is one of the main sources in Witpoortjie that sells codeine-containing cough syrup to youngsters who use it in a dangerous cocktail, mixed with fizzy drinks, especially Sprite, in order to get high. The mixture goes by slang names such as ‘Lean’, ‘Purple Drank’ and ‘Dirty Sprite’, among others.
The employee denied the allegations, saying that the pharmacy had even stopped stocking the brand BronCleer because it is the most commonly abused brand. The streets of Witpoortjie are, however, often littered with empty bottles of this particular cough syrup. When asked whether, as required by law, they kept a register of purchasers (which has to contain the name, ID number and address of the customer) they said they did. This register is a national digital register. Despite their claim of complying with completing the register, the Record journalist has bought codeine pills from the pharmacy on various occasions in the past, but has never been asked to supply the abovementioned information. On this occasion though, after he informed them what he was investigating, they asked for his details despite his purchase only consisting of four tablets.
The cost price of Broncleer is apparently about R11 but pharmacies sell it for anything between R20 and R40 a bottle.
The Record is in the process of obtaining official response from the pharmacy.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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