Painkillers label was misread

7:00pm Thursday 20th April 2006

A PENDLE man died from an accidental overdose after misreading the label on his painkillers, an inquest heard.

But Barry Lord's wife Jean, of Ambleside Avenue, Barnoldswick, called for Codeine to be banned after claiming the pills killed her husband.

The inquest was told Mr Lord, 63, was prescribed the painkiller Tramadol following a fall in July last year in which he injured his arm.

Doctors took Mr Lord off the drug and prescribed Codeine, which Mrs Lord said was against her husband's wishes.

She added doctors told her husband he looked well when he went for a check up on November 15 last year.

But he was found dead by Mrs Lord the next morning.

The hearing was told the label on the Codeine read: "Take two tablets four times a day when required for pain."

Mrs Lord, who told the inquest she believed the instructions meant the pills could be taken whenever pain was felt, said her husband took more than the recommended dose of Tramadol if he felt pain and he could have done the same with Codeine.

She told the inquest: "Codeine was taken off the market for five years and was only just put back on.

"We went to see the doctor and he said he looked well. He pleaded and pleaded and pleaded and said he wanted to stay on Tramadol.

"Barry came out and said we are just a name and number and nobody gives a damn."

Pathologist Dr Zuhair Twaij said a post-mortem examination found Mr Lord had high levels of Codeine in his system as well as morphine caused by a chemical breakdown of the painkiller.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Richard Taylor said: "He took his pain killers and decided that if he was in some pain he would take some more and some more and sadly that is what has killed him.

"What he did not do is look what was on the label.

"It is purely accidental. He possibly did not know or believe that by taking these pain killers it would have killed him."

Silke Thomson, spokes-woman for Government body the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said: "As with any medicine, codeine phosphate has side effects as well as benefits.

"It is important that all medicines provided on prescription are used as instructed in order to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits.

"The patient inform-ation leaflet which accompanies medicines provides important information on safe use and on the side effects which can be expected."