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!

you can get paracetemol on repeat prescription, online through online pharmacies or online through a weekly shop, as well as in person in most petrol stations, supermarkets, corner shops, pharmacies. you can also use Amazon, I buy ibuprofen on there as my kids are fussy and like Nurofen for period pain as it's easy to swallow, and Lemsip is on there as well as other cold remedies, but not generic cheap painkillers only branded ones. Of course, it's a bit more difficult than buying 1000 tablet bottles, but it's not as if it's inaccessible compared with the faff of prescription meds.

I didn't think doctors prescribed paracetamol now due to the cost, which I understand in most cases.

And, the whole point of the policy is to make it a bit more inaccessible, otherwise, it wouldn't have caused a 43% drop in paracetemol overdoses, would it?

But it has to be accessible for people like my DM who needed 8 a day! Fine stop people buying it OTC but put something in place for people who need it.

I knew you couldn’t get more than two items containing paracetamol at a time, I didn’t know that had been extended to all painkillers in general

There is. You can get them prescribed like your DM did.

Yes, this is one of the cases where a paracetamol prescription is appropriate. You see a lot of people complaining about it 'when the NHS is on its knees' but for some people with ongoing pain they really do have to have it prescribed as if they're housebound or living in poverty they might not be able to go to the shops often enough to buy the dose that they require.

Its not ''the Co-op’s painkiller policy'', its the law.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC31616/

Well yes, that's common sense but GPs aren't supposed to prescribe them now because of the cost to the NHS.

It’s not “interesting”. It is just the way it has to be.

These days my 30/500 cocodamol prescription is issued in huge big boxes because I take 8 per day. If they wanted to restrict those to 32 at a time, despite being in prescription, they’d have to write me a fresh script every 4 days, which would create an awful lot of extra admin considering the number of chronic pain patients per surgery .

They review me, they discuss my pain meds with me, they know I have no MH issues. That is a lot more than a sales assistant knows and constitutes a proper risk assessment.

I still have to remember to buy normal paracetamol for the rest of the household. (I can’t just hand out my 30/500s like smarties, obviously), and I keep everything locked up.

I can’t see the contradiction TBH.

Me too. I have knee pain and arthritis in my foot-every time I'm in a drug store or supermarket I get a couple of packs of paracetamol. With the damp and cold at this time of year (usually!) a pack only lasts 2 days.

YABU. VERY Unreasonable.

But you can do exactly that under current legislation

I'd say that reducing the number of suicides (which this legislation has undoubtedly done) trumps any irritation.

Seriously, can none of you imagine yourselves on the other side of the "it's my right and it's convenient to stock up" debate? Can you imagine having a teenager who took an impulsive overdose of paracetamol after an argument with their gf/bf because there was a bottle of 500 in the house or because they could buy 6 packs in boots, and then didn't tell anyone for just a bit too long, and subsequently died a painful, lingering death from liver failure? Because it happens.

It's not legal for shops to sell more than 16 paracetamol at a time because of the suicide risk. Pharmacy the same

Pharmacy's are the same

The idea is that many attempted suicides are spur of the moment incidents and having to traipse around to several shops would give these people time to reflect. Of course if you're serious...

Pharmacies, especially independent ones, have the same guidelines, but also have a qualified pharmacist on the premises who can assess if the proposed purchase is appropriate. I recently bought a box of hot lemon (containing paracetamol), a box of paracetamol, and some calpol in one go, because the pharmacist was happy that these were appropriate for family with a stinking cold.

I don't think supermarket checkout staff should depart from store policy one iota, and I don't expect it of chain pharmacies either

This is best practise

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956857/Appendix_4.pdf#:~:text=The%20maximum%20pack%20size%20for%20pain%20relief%20medicines,paracetamol%20or%20aspirin%20in%20any%20one%20retail%20transaction.

The actual law is no more than 100 paracetamol or aspirin in one transaction from anywhere; pharmacies can sell over 32 in one transaction under supervision of a qualified pharmacist

Its very easy to overdose on paracetamol. I can't take additional paracetamol or lemsip when I feel like I have a cold because I am on co-codamol which also contains paracetamol.

Its a PITA when I have a cold anyway because I take 2 co-codamol three times a day and have done for 12 years, so when I feel poorly with a cold it never seems to go away completely as the paracetamol in the codeine just keeps it at bay for what seems like ever.

My Mums doctor said once that it was better to wrap up warm in bed, get plenty of rest, drink loads of fluids and don't take Lemsip, but just take 2 paracetamol instead. Far more effective than Lemsip.

It’s the same policy everywhere in the UK unless the sale is overseen by a pharmacist.

I don't understand it either. I understand the suicide risk

you do understand it then?

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

I take issue with your phrasing here? Normal mums? Normal mums are just as vulnerable to impulses to harm themselves.

Your irritation doesn’t trump peoples safety. Being irritated won’t kill you.

@JustFrustrated i can obviously only speak for myself, but the reason I stock up do regularly is because when I get a sudden onset migraine my aura means not only can I not remember where I’ve put them, but I can’t speak. It’s best for me to have a pack in every room. Normally I don’t need more than two of each more than once or twice a month.

Having a migraine is extremely debilitating and I’m lucky two of each if caught early enough will sort it out. I probably don’t get them every shop but near enough. I don’t think that’s classed as dependency?

Really? The LD50 of paracetamol is very close to the concentration needed to be effective so it's very easy to overdose on paracetamol. That's why there are so many warning labels all over it and a maximum dose within 24 hours.

Ibuprofen causes some serious GI problems (stomach ulcers) so should also not be used to excess.

You are. Joking aren’t you. NICE have reviewed guidelines. They are all shit scared to. It’s hell having chronic pain now.