07 April 2008 - 9:32AM
Alarm raised on 'Death' drug
By Danielle Cronin
Health Reporter
A 20-year-old Canberra man has died after taking an illegal, designer drug called "PMA", "Death" or "Dr Death", prompting Canberra doctors to raise the alarm.
It is believed this is first case of PMA poisoning detected in the ACT and the doctors fear a "market shift" could encourage more drug users to take the substance described as "potent and extremely dangerous".
Calvary Hospital's director of intensive care, Paul Lamberth, staff specialist Geoff King and deputy director of pharmacy Liisa Nurmi have revealed that they recently treated a patient suffering from PMA poisoning.
PMA, Death or Dr Death are the street names for paramethoxyampethamine, which reportedly started circulating in the 1970s.
The substance is sometimes peddled as MDMA but it is deemed extremely dangerous and more potent than MDMA, with ecstasy, e, eccies or xtc among the street names.
Dr Lamberth said the 20-year-old patient was brought by ambulance to the emergency department suffering from a suspected overdose.
He was unconscious and acutely ill.
"The patient's associates allege that he habitually used equine clenbuterol and ovine androgen preparations in addition to ecstasy," Dr Lamberth said in the Medical Journal of Australia out today.
The patient suffered a range of medical crises including kidney and liver failure in the days after he was taken to hospital.
He died 10 days after taking PMA.
Dr Lamberth and his colleagues were concerned that drug makers could readily secure ingredients to make Death.
"Since 2005, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has instituted its pseudo watch program to reduce the diversion of pseudoephedrine to illicit methamphetamine manufacture by a combination of retail restrictions and recording details of purchases judged genuine," he said.
"Supporting legislation varies by state."
Pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in cold and flu medications a chemical that can be used to make illicit drugs such as "speed" and "ice".
"However, PMA is made from the readily available and unmonitored precursor anethole," he said.
"A market shift in drug use toward the more lethal PMA because of the reduced availability of pseudoephedrine would be cause for concern.
"Further, PMA has a slower onset of action than MDMA, leading to the possibility of additional doses being ingested while awaiting effects."
Doctors should also consider PMA poisoning in cases where patients were believed to be suffering from a severe reaction to ecstasy.
