Paracetamol continues to be sold in excess despite legislation restricting
pack sizes
People are still finding it easy to purchase a large number of paracetamol tablets for use in suicide attempts, a study reveals (Postgraduate Medical Journal 2006;82:520).
Researchers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, surveyed
107 individuals admitted to hospital for acute paracetamol overdose.
They found that 46 per cent of those who intentionally purchased the
drug to take an overdose had been able to purchase potentially toxic
amounts greater than the pack sizes stipulated by legislation in 1998.
Only one patient had purchased an excessive amount from a pharmacy — all
others had obtained paracetamol from non-pharmacy outlets.
The authors also tried to find out how many pharmacies would be prepared
to sell more than the restricted amount; in four out of the eight pharmacies
visited in south London, researchers were able to purchase at least 48
paracetamol tablets. The authors claim that, despite the small study
size, their data suggest that legislation may not be achieving the goal
of reducing the amount of paracetamol in households available for overdose.
Paul Dargan, medical toxicologist from the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Poisons
Unit and co-author of the study, commented: “It is appropriate
for pharmacists to have a brief discussion about the quantity of paracetamol
that a customer is wishing to purchase, the maximum safe dosage and safe
storage of the product.”
Robert Clayton, head of practice and quality improvement, Royal Pharmaceutical
Society, said: “Although UK legislation restricts pack sizes, the
law currently permits up to 100 paracetamol tablets to be sold [by pharmacists]
at any one time.” He added that pharmacists are expected to use
their professional judgement to determine whether this is appropriate
on a case-by-case basis. |
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