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Published on: December 3, 2020
Pack-size legislation reduces severity of paracetamol overdoses in Ireland
E Donohoe1, N Walsh, J A Tracey
1National Poisons Information Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9. elainedonohoe@beaumont.ie
Background:
Legislation was introduced in Ireland in October 2001 to control the sale of paracetamol in non-pharmacy outlets. Preparations are now limited to 12 tablets per pack and only one pack can be sold per transaction.
Aim:
To assess the impact of this legislation on acute deliberate paracetamol overdoses.
Methods:
We reviewed acute deliberate paracetamol overdoses reported during two 24-months periods before and after October 2001. We grouped cases according to the number of tablets taken and compared the periods using chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests.
Results:
The number of tablets taken in acute deliberate paracetamol overdose fell significantly after October 2001 (chi2 = 11.663, P = 0.0029). Fewer cases involved 12-24 tablets (U = 74, P < 0.001) and fewer cases involved more than 24 tablets (U = 131.5, P = 0.0006).
Conclusion:
Legislation controlling sale and packaging of paracetamol preparations appears to be associated with a significant fall in the number of tablets taken in acute deliberate paracetamol overdoses.
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