One of Australia’s most widely used medications will be subject to tightened restrictions from Saturday in an effort to combat overdoses.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration is bringing in changes to the sale of paracetamol, commonly used for headaches and period pain, in an effort to prevent incidents of liver damage and self harm.
From February 1, packs of the medication for sale outside chemists will be limited to 16 tablets or capsules, down from 20, while packs in pharmacies will be limited to 50 tablets or capsules, down from 100.
The tablets or capsules will also need to be in blister packaging and not bottles.
A maximum of 100 tablets or capsules can be accessed only under consultation with a pharmacist as a ‘pharmacist only medicine’.
The rules will also apply to any combination medicines that contain the drug, including cold and flu treatments.
Some states such as Queensland and WA already have further restrictions in place, requiring any size packs over 16 to be kept behind the counter inside pharmacies.
The medication remains safe if used as directed.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration will reduce the number of paracetamol tablets or capsules consumer can buy
The drug can cause serious liver damage if taken in amounts greater than what is directed
The revisions were done in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling and submissions from the public and healthcare organisations.
The TGA said the alarming number of overdose cases from the drug were behind the regulatory change.
The medicines watchdog said about 50 deaths a year are caused by paracetamol overdose along with about 255 hospitalisations for liver damage.
It said such overdoses often occurred on the spur of the moment and reducing the number of capsules or tablets ‘lying around’ could save lives.
Some submissions raised concerns about rural Australians who needed to travel long distances for supplies and whether the price of the product would increase, which the TGA said it had considered.
The safety watchdog is also encouraging retailers such as supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations to impose buying limits on the product.
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