To be annoyed with the Co-op’s painkiller policy

[LunaLoveLemon]

Just popped into the co-op for a takeaway coffee on my way home from the nursery run (awful habit, I know). Thought I’d get stock up on painkillers whilst I was there as it’s cold/flu season. Picked up one packed of ibuprofen, one of paracetamol, and some cold and flu sachets. So two products containing paracetamol, and one of ibuprofen. Not against any sales restrictions AFAIK and certainly not an excessive amount.

The woman at the counter then tells me that I can’t buy three packets of any painkillers. I can’t recall ever having this problem before in any shops? Usually it’s been two of each drug. I’ve just checked the guidelines and two packets of ANY painkiller does appear to be the Best Practice guideline on the .gov website (although not law)! So I suppose I can’t really take issue with it.

But AIBU to think that this is excessively restrictive? I’m a healthcare professional fwiw so do understand the risks wrt overdose. But equally, being able to buy enough painkillers to get you through a few days of illness doesn’t seem unreasonable!

Genuine question. What do you think governments should spend their time on, if not on preventing the avoidable deaths of vulnerable people if it can be done by imposing mild restrictions on painkiller purchases?

How would you feel about this question if you had a loved one who had taken an impulsive paracetamol OD and you knew that if they hadn't had large quantities of paracetamol to hand, they probably wouldn't have died?

I think it’s hard isn’t it, because sometimes they advise not to talk about suicide, because it might encourage people to actually do it.
I remember there was that show on Netflix, about the young girl that killed herself and left the cassette tapes, and there was a surge in suicides after.
Its tricky because how can you raise awareness, without raising that kind of awareness?

Yeah but it's a barrier isn't it.

I think it probably works in the sense that it stops people perfectly innocently gradually building up a stash in their medicine cabinet. Then if someone is feeling low and makes a snap decision to commit suicide, they don’t already have the means to do so in their house. Then hopefully their moment of darkness passes and they are able to get help.

If someone is intent on killing themselves they will just visit multiple shops or find another means.

I still remember the days when you could walk into Boots and buy a bottle of 100 paracetamol tablets.

At poundland you can buy three packets of 16 ibuprofen or paracetamol for £1.00 but both the MHRA and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have complained about Poundlands £1 paracetamol deal over patient safety fears.

But if you were intent on committing suicide you would just go from chemist to chemist to buy more packs so its a moot point anyway.

At Aldi my partner and I buy groceries in three splits, one lot of shopping on the conveyor for Mum on her card - I have LPA) one for me and partner on my card and one for me and partner on his card (he buys dogs stuff and washing powder). The one day I put two packs of ibuprofen on my pile and two packs of paracetamol on his pile of shopping and the checkout assistant said only two packs per household.

When we got to the car I googled it and its two packs per customer and not per household - imagine if you were living in student digs and there was ten of you!!!.

We called them out on their mistake the next week when another checkout assistant said they were going to confiscate the paracetamol. They let us through will all 4 packs (2 paracetamol and 2 ibuprofen) and so they should too.

I can remember being told by Mum that dying from paracetamol overdose was horrific as the hospital will often save your life but then tell you that within so many days you will die and there is nothing can be done for you due to irreversible liver damage. ~Very sad.

I remember when you could buy a bottle of 100 paracetamol!!

i dont think it ks unreasonable to want to get more - I used to stock up in the supermarket too - I'd buy two packs of paracetamol and two of ibuprofen but then they changed policy and it was two packs in total.
However a supermarket is not a pharmacy so having a low limit is probably sensible.

I belive you can buy more at a pharmacy counter.

Co-op do seem more restrictive than some. I wasn't able to buy two packets of paracetamol and some sennakot - was told it was a blanket two pharmacy items policy. Till says no.

The anecdotal rubbish people spout on here about America always makes me chuckle. When’s the last time you discussed this with your family? Unlike the UK where you can easily buy co-codamol over the counter with no limits on quantity as long as you go to different pharmacies, in America you need a doctor’s prescription for even the smallest amount of any opioid and there are strict restrictions on how and when the prescriptions are filled. The days of “pill mills” handing out pills like candy are long gone. Since the opioid epidemic has taken hold the government has cracked down massively and opioid prescriptions have gone down 44% since 2011. Even after major surgery doctors will prescribe a few days’ worth at most. In 2016 the federal government issued prescribing guidelines and although they are not law many doctors treat them as such in fear or personal liability. Some say opioids don’t work on chronic pain full stop. The problem is there are lots of people with long-term chronic pain from documented physical problems who have been responsibly taking prescribed opioids for years, with great benefit to their quality of life. Now many of these people are being cut off cold turkey, leading to untold misery, disability and sometimes suicide. And the worst part is that it hasn’t even made a dent in overdose deaths.

This info is easily available from a quick Google but if you don’t feel like doing that:

www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/report-shows-decreases-opioid-prescribing-increase-overdoses

ashpublications.org/ashclinicalnews/news/4706/The-Other-Opioid-Epidemic

@FacebookPhotos, am I right in thinking that suicidal ideation is not the same as suicidal intent? That is, the former may involve some mental planning, but the danger is when the person jumps across to intent? And that jump is the impulse?

@PicturesOfDogs yes, that could be a good reason not to do a national campaign. The advice is definitely to talk with an individual person though about their suicidal feelings if they have any...on the basis that you can set up a dialogue and help get an emergency plan in place as well as outside help. There are some great resources I found when I was placed in this situation with my teen:

www.papyrus-uk.org/
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Ten-Things-Parents-Can-Do-to-Prevent-Suicide.aspx

its been like this for years. I'm surprised that you are surprised

I can quite easily get out and about but I don't want to have to go out when I've got a banging headache or can't move easily because my back hurts.

It's why completed suicides by women are now lower than for men - because we've successfully reduced access to the most common methods used by women (though women still attempt suicide at a higher rate than men).

Men and women tend to choose different methods.

I think it's horrifying the number of people on this thread who are blithely stating that people who are suicidal will just go to lots of shops and therefore we should all be able to buy paracetamol in big bottles like the old days ( or America). As people have repeatedly stated this belief is WRONG. There is clear proof that restricting access to too many pain killers reduces suicide rates. Putting them in blister packs is also part of this as you have to press each tablet out individually and not just empty a bottle of pills into your mouth. Understanding many suicides are as a result of a sudden impulse may actually help many people on this thread protect family members by making sure any stockpiled paracetamol are locked away. If you've never experienced suicidal ideation you may not get this but educate yourselves and stop dismissing people who know what they are talking about just because you couldn't buy three lots of paracetamol at once.

Dependency? I can’t actually remember the last time I even took painkillers and we didn’t have any in the house! But the kids both have colds, DH is feeling under the weather, and I suspect I’ll come down with it by the end of the week (and we will have to keep working regardless).

DH prefers cold and flu sachets. I can’t take them as I’m breastfeeding hence plain paracetamol. Ibuprofen is a standard first aid kit staple as we both do a lot of sport. Having a packet of your preferred pain relief available for the eventuality in which you need it is hardly dependency.

I remember going to the pharmacy once trying to buy co-codamol, paracetamol, lemsip, and piriton when I had a bad cold. Plan was 2 co-codamol in the morning, then 2 doses of paracetamol throughout the day, then lempsip and piriton before bed. Pharmacist looked at me with real concern and point blank refused to serve me. She looked even more concerned when I later walked past with a bottle of brandy 😁.
I do understand why the restriction is in place though as not everyone is aware different products contain the same medications.

It's not unique to the Co-op - I don't know anywhere that will sell you more than two packets of OTC painkillers, even if they are a different type. It wouldn't really be fair to expect sales staff to analyse the ingredients to work out if you were buying enough of any one ingredient to harm yourself.

I don't understand it either. I understand the suicide risk. Most normal mums just want to pop into Sainsbury's and get a packet of paracetamol and a packet of ibuprofen at the same time. And to be told we can't I find irritating.

You can buy a packet of paracetamol and a packet of ibuprofen at the same time though. What you can't do is buy more than two packets of painkillers in total.

I too am surprised by those posters who don't understand that irrespective of other peoples suicide risks, I don't feel that is a risk to me. most of us normal people just want freedom of choice.

We are a family of four and very rarely have colds or coughs or anything but when we are rarely ill I want to have something at home, in stock, and I want to be able to make that choice of what I take.

At the time I am actually ill I certainly don't want to be running around to different supermarkets and Boots pharmacy etc trying to get the different things that I want. that's why I keep them in stock.

and I will decide what I want to take and when. if I want to check take a Nurofen followed later by a paracetamol and later by a Lemsip then I want to be able to have that choice.

and I don't think its stupid to have all options at home, in stock. For the very very rare occasion I want it, when I do feel ill I have it already there for my choice.

How many people is it acceptable to have die unnecessarily so you are not put to the mild inconvenience of visiting more than one shop, on the rare occasion that adding a pack to your normal shop once in a while isn't sufficient?

Nobody's restricting your freedom of choice. They're just restricting your opportunity to sweep the entire painkiller shelf into your trolley.

I don't get why this interferes with your freedom of choice. you are free to buy two products every day of the week, and two in more than one shop. No-one is keeping a record. So if it matters to you to have stocks in, this is so easily achieved.

People never think anyone around them might overdose...it's hardly a rare occurrence for teens, especially girls who choose this method, so I'm surprised at the resistance here. That's without even going into accidental overdoses.

What's more mystifying is the ease of access to paracetemol IMO which is a drug it's very easy to accidentally overdose on...

It's highly annoying. 32 tables is four days for one person. Last month both DH and I were I'll at the same time and both taking full amount most days so 2 packets of paracetamol was only lasting two days. I had to drag myself out to the shops a couple of times over the week we were both unwell to restock.

If you're rarely sick and don't take these medicines very often then I'd assume you already have a stock at home you keep topped up, rather than getting the first sign of an illness and then having to rush out to grab everything?

It's a good idea to keep a stock at home, yes, and you have the choice to take your ibuprofen then paracetamol and then lemsip, not a problem at all. But being able to buy two packets of a medicine at a time isn't particularly restrictive, really, is it?

But being able to buy two packets of a medicine at a time isn't particularly restrictive, really, is it?

It was when housebound DM needed the maximum dose. Thankfully her GP put them on her repeat prescription.