THE Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) alleged yesterday that some pharmacies were facilitating the black market sale of the drug Cytotec, which women have been using to perform abortions, but which put the users at risk.

Dr Alverston Bailey, president of the MAJ, said anecdotal evidence showed that Cytotec, which was created to combat severe gastric ulcers and other such ailments, but is also used by doctors to induce labour under specific conditions, was being distributed illegally in some pharmacies within the country.

“It has been brought to our attention that some pharmacies are selling the drug,” said Dr Bailey. “A number of pharmacies do sell Cytotec to do abortions, that is where the danger presents itself. The MAJ does not recommend that it be obtained on the black market because the consequences are grave.”

Repeated attempts yesterday to get a comment on the matter from the Pharmaceutical Society, the grouping that represents the interests of pharmacists, were unsuccessful.

But Dr Bailey told the Observer that Cytotec is only utilised by doctors after very specific conditions have been satisfied following careful observation of the patient, and is therefore prevented from being distributed over the counter. Use of the drug outside of these conditions, he said, could lead to haemorrhaging, infections, and perforations of the uterus.

According to the website www.abortionconcern.org, there have been reports of uterine rupture, and one case of maternal and foetal death with the use of Cytotec during pregnancy.

“We (doctors) are trained rigorously to determine whether it is safe,” said the MAJ president. “The doctor has to be convinced that the drug is safe, and the pregnancy and delivery are safe for the mother. Do not buy it on the black market.,” he appealed.

Dr Bailey also said that anecdotal evidence has also shown that the commonest cause of visits to the casualty departments of hospitals by women suffering from haemorrhaging was because of the improper use of Cytotec. He said, too, that the drug has been known to produce ‘failed inductions’ – cases where labour fails to be induced – which may force doctors to perform Caesarean sections to remove the child.

The MAJ president said attempts have been made, through sting operations by the police, to prosecute some of the pharmacies selling Cytotec, but with few successes. In one instance, he said, a store was raided in downtown Kingston and several boxes of the drug seized.

– davisv@jamaicaobserver.com