Codeine, a common ingredient in over-the-counter cold medicines, has been more lethal than OxyContin in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to provincial government data.

The office of Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical examiner listed codeine as the cause or a contributing factor in the deaths of 16 people between 2000 and 2005.

Don Rowe, registrar of the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board, said he was not aware of the volume of codeine-related deaths.
(CBC)

By contrast, OxyContin — the subject of a 2004 task force on how the prescription painkiller became a popular street drug — was similarly identified eight times.

CBC News, in a request under the provincial Access to Information Act, sought data on narcotic-related deaths over that period.

"Most people are aware of OxyContin deaths in this province, but to read that 16 deaths in the province attributed to codeine overdose or abuse — it's a startling number," said Don Rowe, registrar of the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board.

Rowe told CBC News that he had not been made aware of the impact of codeine.

Codeine can be obtained by prescription, but it's also found in popular non-prescription products. It can be extracted from such products to make a powerful narcotic that is similar to morphine.

In the United States, all drugs with codeine are only available by prescription.

Rowe said Canada's registrars of pharmacy boards had recommended that Health Canada follow suit a couple of years ago, but federal authorities rejected the advice.

Since 2004, pharmacists in Newfoundland and Labrador have been advised to stock non-prescription remedies containing codeine behind their counters.

St. John's pharmacist Tom Healey said he will not provide the drug to customers if he thinks they will abuse it.

"They have to have a lot of the product in order to lead to death, and large quantities I myself do not like dispensing and I won't dispense," Healey said.

Healey, however, does not believe that all codeine-containing products should be available by prescription only.

"I think we would be punishing the majority of people to try to stop a few that are going to obtain this drug by legal or illegal methods," Healey said.

It's not clear how many of the 16 deaths are related to prescribed codeine or over-the-counter remedies.

Dr. Simon Avis, the provincial chief medical examiner, was unavailable for comment.