Laws regarding sales of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen??

Goose_Girl

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Even a pack of 16 would last two days at maximum daily dose, and how often would people need that quantity for a simple headache?

As I said, there's absolutely no need to have more than 4 days supply as that's the maximum recommended time to take them continually before seeking medical advice.

For one person, yes. Before we bought our house, hubs and I lived with my parents and sister. I was the only one who worked reasonable hours in a town and could pop to the chemist easily.

Five adults, each with a cold passed from one to the other and 16 paracetamol are gone in four hours, with straws being drawn to see who gets them.

The rules/law/guidance is a pain in that respect especially if they lump ibuprofen in with that. Some injuries mean a doctor will suggest 600mg, but to save costs not prescribe a cheap, widely available drug.

I'm not against it myself, and I personally have a decent stock at home but there are no kids in the house who could take them accidentally, and anyone who has read how paracetamol o/d works would hopefully never do it. My heart goes out to them if they still do.

TL;DR: larger quantities may be useful, and the law is a pain in the bum, but if it has helped save people suffering a difficult death I'm willing to organise myself and my medicine cabinet.

Raksha

Toothsmith wrote: »

Googling the subject would seem to suggest that the smaller pack sizes and restrictions has saved lives.

Really? Not just fewer people using paracetamol as their weapon of choice?

Gingernutty

Someone who is determined to kill themselves can and will stockpile in advance.

Many suicides are 'spur of the moment' events and it is these which the laws/guidelines aim to prevent.

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

mrs_m_goldsmith

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

A pack of 32 paracetamol will provide 4 days treatment for an adult. After which time you should consult your GP if still in pain, as mentioned on the pack. Why on earth do you need to buy more than one packet at a time anyway?

Hello, this is not directed at Chameleon, but simply at the question asked (highlighted in bold above) ...

*rant on*

Why? Well, I can tell you why I need to . . .

I am a cancer survivor, with lymphodema, accompanying chronic bacterial infection (thanks NHS!), osteoarthritis, and several other conditions. I am prescribed 28 doses of 10mg codeine (56 * 5mg tablets) with which I am supposed to take 28 doses of 1000mg paracetamol (56 * 500mg tablets) each week; this is in addition to a prescription for nefopam for when the pain is particularly bad.

I used to get both on prescription (combined as co-codamol), however, our NHS trust has now decided that it is not 'cost-effective' to prescribe tablets that can be purchased for about a penny per tablet, when a prescriptions cost the trust £7.50 each.

So GP has said to take them for my chronic pain, but the trust won't prescribe and the stores won't sell in those quantities. I get 2 MONTHS worth of all my other prescriptions at a go, several of which could cause me serious damage and/or death if taken in the wrong quantities. But I can't be trusted with more than 32 paracetamol even though I've been advised to take it?

By the way, I'm over 60 and mostly housebound, so once a month, I have to send out my even-older husband (with bad hip) to make the rounds and buy 2 packets of 16 paracetamol from each store in city centre to top off my supply.

So my question is this: Why should people like us be made to suffer because a few (<40 per year, according to recent statistics) people either cannot, or will not, be responsible for their own behaviour? And why if someone is that unstable are they not in care?

So this may explain why the issue keeps arising on the forum. The law does not even allow a GP to inform the pharmacy to sell more to appropriate patients, it would still be against the law for the pharmacy to do so. And they are now discussing reducing the 'ration' even further.

Thanks for your interest, but walk in our shoes for a while, then perhaps you will have earned the right to tell us it's "not a good idea" to allow proper amounts to be sold on a regular basis.

[And yes, I've asked my pharmacy who are across from the GP and KNOW I'm supposed to take these, and the only advice they could give is, we'll sell you 32 tablets but you have to buy the rest elsewhere!]

*rant off*

Thanks for listening! :j

sweetcheeks33

So my question is this: Why should people like us be made to suffer because a few (<40 per year, according to recent statistics) people either cannot, or will not, be responsible for their own behaviour? And why if someone is that unstable are they not in care?


This is a very disrespectful and fully ignorant view of the cross section of society who actually commit suicide. Further to this many of those who end up in hospital with paracetamol overdose are people who have NOT intended to kill themselves but have taken two many tablets due to being very unwell and not fully realising when they started taking the tablets and when it constitutes 24 hrs and they should have only taken 8 in that time.

Ie. started at 8 am taken 2, another 2 at 12pm, another 2 at 4 pm , another 2 at 12pm... That's your wake. However what happens when tablets are taken through the night and then again in morning... Technical overdose!!

So please do not be as judgmental as those who cannot or will not. As others have said many times it is spur of the moment- therefore people do not walk around many shops to stockpile to of this, stockpiling medicine is far more dangerous as then it is available. Many people who do this to themselves are also highly educated proffesional individuals ... Suicide affects every class and race unfortunately.

You are unable to stop people if they choose, people who usually are serious will never discuss it before hand or give any idea ( although not all) someone committed suicide in prison here last year by throwing themselves of the top floor of hall, another hung themselves in there cell. There is no more secure than a prison so it just shows if people have a will. ALS for the unstable being locked up, it's actually more difficult than most realise to have someone detained against their will due to health/ mental health reasons.

AshfordSteve

Mrs Goldsmith,

I am disappointed that your pharmacy would not sell you 96 paracetamol. 96 paracetamol is the maximum that can legally be sold without a prescription, subject to the pharmacist's discretion. Would I sell 96 to someone who just wanted to stock up? No I would not as I would not be able to justify it. Would I sell 96 to somebody in your situation? Yes I would.

Please speak to your pharmacist and explain the situation fully. Failing that, speak to your GP. I do not recognise the figure of £7.50 for a prescription for paracetamol. 100 paracetamol on prescription is reimbursed at £2.63, so a month's supply for you would be just over £5. Although a general policy of not prescribing paracetamol may be appropriate, there should be exemptions for patients with chronic pain, especially those who are housebound.