Why does codeine always come packaged with paracetamol?
Codeine is only available on its own in the UK as a prescription only medicine. It is available over-the-counter as co-codamol and various other branded products. Codeine is a great analgesic (painkiller) and so is paracetamol, they are put together in tablet so that you only need to take one tablet rather than two. Codeine linctus is legally still available to buy as a cough suppressant, however you will be hard pressed to find a pharmacy that stocks it due to its potential for abuse. Codeine tablets are not available to buy as they are more concentrated and thus easier to abuse (Do you want to take two tablets or drink a glass of orange goop to get high?) Some drugs can also act in synergy, an odd thing where 1+1=3. It does not matter that the two drugs work in different ways, in fact it’s probably useful as the two drugs are not competing for the same pathway.
