Medicines management: Why must co-dydramol now be prescribed by strength rather than number of tablets?

With new co-dydramol products now available with a higher strength of opioid analgesic dihydrocodeine, prescribing and dispensing them by strength is vital to ensure patient safety and minimise the risk of accidental opiate overdose, says medicines management expert Matt Griffiths

Co-dydramol is a common analgesic that has been used in healthcare for decades.

It used to be prescribed as one to two tablets, but with new strengths of the drug recently having been given marketing authorisation in the UK, this practice needs to be changed to ensure patient safety is not put at risk.

Co-dydramol, a combination of dihydrocodeine and paracetamol, was previously only available in the ratio 1:50 (co-dydramol 10/500mg). But two other products are now available with a higher strength of dihydrocodeine – co-dydramol 20/500mg and 30/500mg tablets.

Prescribing and dispensing co-dydramol products by strength is