Can Prescription Drugs Be Taken While Driving in Ireland, Or Could Solpadeine Cost You Your Licence?

What Medicines Could Make You Fail a Roadside Drug Test in Ireland?

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You Took Medicine, Not Drugs. So Why Are You Facing a Drug Driving Charge?

You didn’t take drugs.

You didn’t break the law.

You had a migraine. Or a back spasm.

Or the kind of head cold that was ‘smothering’ you.

"Remember those labels that say, “may cause drowsiness”? 

You should pay attention to those.

They’re there for a reason.

If the medication that you take can cause you to become

drowsy then you shouldn’t drive"

So, you did what most people do. You grabbed something from the pharmacy shelf, Solpadeine, Nurofen Plus, maybe a few Migraleve, Solpa Plus or Solpadol, and you kept going with your day.

Now you’ve been stopped.

And you’re being swabbed for drugs.

How did this happen?

The legal line isn’t where you think it is

The public thinks drug driving is about cocaine. Cannabis. Maybe MDMA.

But this is the reality: Codeine is an opiate.

It’s in products like:

• Solpadeine

• Nurofen Plus

• Solpa Plus

• Solpadol

• Migraleve

All legal. All sold over the counter.

And all potentially detectable in a roadside drug test.

The Medical Bureau of Road Safety confirms it: Codeine can be picked up in oral fluid.

That means a simple saliva swab at the roadside can flag it.

No blood test. No delay. Just a few seconds.

If the Garda believes you’re even slightly impaired — and that drug shows up?

You could be prosecuted.

You’re not being punished for doing something illegal

You’re being punished for not knowing the rules.

And that’s the part nobody warns you about.

There’s no bright red label that says "This could cost you your licence."

No Garda leaflet handed out with your tablets.

Just a legal product, a quiet warning on the box, and a law that doesn’t care if you felt “fine.”

Because what matters isn’t what you took.

It’s whether a judge thinks your driving was affected.

So, what should you do now?

• Read the leaflet. If it says “may cause drowsiness,” take that seriously.

• Ask your pharmacist. They’ll know what’s safe — and what isn’t.

• Don’t drive if you feel even slightly off. That’s not paranoia. That’s self-preservation.

FAQs: Prescription Drugs and Drug Driving in Ireland

Q: Can Codeine really trigger a Garda drug test?

Yes. The Medical Bureau of Road Safety confirms Codeine can be detected in oral fluid. That includes products like Solpadeine, Nurofen Plus, and others.

Q: What if I didn’t feel impaired?

That won’t matter. If the Garda believes your driving was affected, and the test is positive, you may be charged under drug driving legislation.

Q: What about cold and flu medicine?

Some can impair you, especially those with antihistamines. If they affect your driving, the same risk applies.

This is the part nobody prepares you for — when you realise the law doesn’t always feel fair.

But it still carries consequences.

What’s Important?

Look, relax.

Most over the counter medication will not show up on a roadside test.

But medications that contain codeine may.  

Codeine does have the capacity to cause impairment.

Remember those labels that say, “may cause drowsiness”? 

You should pay attention to those.

They’re there for a reason.

If the medication that you take can cause you to become drowsy then you shouldn’t drive, even if it’s prescribed because you’re potentially a danger to yourself or others on the road.

That makes sense right?

"The numbers of people brought to court because

they were impaired due to prescribed or over-the-counter

medication is minutely small, probably less than 0.5% of

all impaired driving prosecutions.

A tiny number"

That means that the medication is causing impairment in you.

And impairment is what the law punishes.

That’s what we mean here.

I’ve helped dozens of clients in exactly this position. Not reckless drivers. Not drug users. Just people who were never warned this could happen.

Ordinary people just like you, not criminals.

So, what the law is saying is that if your prescribed or over-the-counter medication causes you to be drowsy, don’t drive.

That’s always been the case with medication.

Nothing new here, except that the law is punishing people who become drowsy while taking medication.

Calm Down

But let’s be sensible: the numbers of people brought to court because they were impaired due to prescribed or over-the-counter medication is minutely small, probably less than 0.5% of all impaired driving prosecutions.

A tiny number.

So the vast majority of people will be just fine.

Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

They’ll set you right.

After all, it’s the choice between going off the road… or driving home.

And everybody wants to drive home.