Codeine

Excerpt

Codeine is a member of the opioid class of medications and is used to manage pain. Codeine is also used to treat cough. For mild-to-moderate pain, codeine is often used as a combined medication with acetaminophen or with an NSAID like ibuprofen. The drug is often available as a combination product with promethazine or an NSAID like salicylic acid for cough and cold. Codeine is often marketed in the form of tablets and syrups. While opioids are valuable agents for treating pain, they also carry a high risk of misuse, abuse, addiction, and increased mortality, as demonstrated by the current opioid epidemic and accompanying overdose deaths. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, contraindications, adverse events, and other important aspects relating to the use of codeine in the clinical setting. The use of codeine by interprofessional team members relates to the potential for opioid misuse and the associated consequences, along with the appropriate indications.