Pack size and paracetamol overdose: 16 years later

Abstract

In 1998 the United Kingdom limited the availability of paracetamol sold over-the-counter in an effort to reduce serious paracetamol overdose. Since that time debate has continued on the effectiveness of this policy in reducing what is acknowledged as a major public health problem. This commentary reviews recent publications on this topic which suggest that the effects were small. Reasons for this are discussed using data from recent work.

Keywords:

• Paracetamol
• Analgesics
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pack size
• Drug regulation