Have Other Countries Recalled Propoxyphene?

Yes. Drug regulators in the United Kingdom withdrew authorization for the sale of the drug in 2005, based partially on reports of an unusual number of deaths related to Propoxyphene in Florida, where medical examiners do detailed toxicological testing of deceased persons. British drug regulators said the risk of fatal overdose was too high. More recently, in June 2009 the European Medicines Agency recommended the discontinuation of Propoxyphene from the European market. A phased withdrawal of the drug is currently underway in Europe.

In Australia, propoxyphene-related products are still on the market, but are poised to be withdrawn this March 2012. They market the drug under the name "Doloxene" but based on similar negative side effects, the drug is being recalled. In February of 2010, around the time they were being taken off the market in the United States, New Zealand withdrew their form of the drug named "Paradex" and "Capadex." In Sweden, even though the European Medicines Agency had recommended the drug be pulled in 2009, Sweden kept it on the market, but strongly discouraged its use in patients with a drug and alcohol abuse history, which made symptoms worse. Finally in March 2011, all propoxyphene products were withdrawn from the market.

The withdrawal of the drug seemed to start with the United Kingdom in 2004 and in 2007 the license for brand name "co-proxamol" was removed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Studies began to show that other medications that were less dangerous could product the same results and doctors began to prescribe them instead. It wasn't until June 2009 that the drug was withdrawn completely across all of Europe. To put it simply, all major countries that carried the drug have already recalled or are in the process of withdrawing propoxyphene products from the market.