Tramadol has become a controlled drug along with zopiclone and zaleplon following regulations that came into effect yesterday (June 10).
The painkiller has been placed in schedule 3 and reclassified as a class C drug.
The Home Office announced the change in March, following a 12-week consultation carried out last summer in response to a surge in deaths involving tramadol.
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Life-saving statins should stay, rules MHRA Tramadol remains exempt from the safe custody requirements of other schedule 3 drugs, as a result of responses to the consultation, but is subject to full prescription writing requirements.
Zopiclone and zaleplon have been placed alongside zolpidem and benzodiazepines in schedule 4 part 1 class.
Alongside the changes, the government confirmed that the ADHD drug lisdexamphetamine remains in schedule 2.