PROMISED LIMITS ON PARACETAMOL TABLET SALES

Limits on the sale of paracetamol will be introduced by the end of the
year, the Department of Health and Children has confirmed.

They are likely to restrict the number of tablets which can be sold at a
time, with higher limits for chemists than for other outlets, and a
prescription needed for more than 50 tablets.

Hospitals dealt with 1,452 cases of paracetamol poisoning in the Republic
last year, among them 43 cases of temporary or permanent liver damage.

Paracetamol figures prominently in attempted suicide and groups such as the
Irish Association of Suicidology (IAS) have been pressing for restrictions.

Voluntary limits, in the form of a recommendation from the Irish Medicines
Board, were introduced in 1997. That was the worst year for paracetamol
poisoning, with 1,628 cases. Since then the numbers have remained steady at
over 1,400 a year. Asked why the recommendation appeared to have little
effect, Dr John Connolly of the IAS said "there would be some reluctance in
the industry to implement these guidelines".

Dr Connolly said the IAS took the view "that paracetamol does damage and
should be restricted to pharmacy outlets. The number of tablets should be
restricted to about 16 per pack".

While people could circumvent the regulations and build up a supply by
going from chemist to chemist, making paracetamol harder to get "would deal
with situations where people impulsively take an overdose".

Ms Nancy O'Flynn of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union said its members were
expected to abide by the recommendations. Shops and supermarkets should not
sell more than 24 tablets at a time, she said. Pharmacists should sell more
only after talking to the customer and should require a prescription for
more than 50.

In the UK, legally binding restrictions were introduced in 1998 - 16
tablets from shops and 32 from chemists, and a prescription for more than
100 tablets. Studies there show a sharp drop in paracetamol overdoses after
the introduction of restrictions.