mikelincs

Currently there are limits to the number of aspirin and paracetamol that can be bought from supermarkets etc, Pharmacies can give out larger quantities, but only with the agreement of the pharmacist. The limits were put on becaus of the number of slw lingering deaths being caused by idiots trying to commit suicide using paracetamol, which, in itself doesn't kill, it;s the liver failure etc that appears several days after they have recovered from the overdose, and often decided it wa better to go on living. But the paracetamol had already done so much damage to the liver and kidneys that they had irreversible liver failure, in the majority of cases the only treatment was a transplant. People judt didn't realise that taking as few as 6 paracetamol at any one time could have this devastating outcome, and they always recovered after the overdose, well they woke up OK the next morning, but it took several days for the liver to be poisoned and cause them problems

Pulaski

That's what I'm talking about (I think), 'cept mine came from BJ's.

yellowroom

the prevalence of blister packs in the EU is also influenced by other factors, like

• shelf life (tablets or capsules that are more fragile or susceptible to moisture are better protected in aluminium blisters than knocking round a big bottle with a large headspace)
• child protection (not so visible, harder work to get at than an open bottle)
• more tamper-proof
• traceability (grey imports from other markets and harder to fake)

Of course, these factors are true in the US too, but they are given higher priority in the EU/Japan than in the US. FDA like to manage the risks in different ways.

the reduction in pack sizes for paracetamol did have a significant effect on overdose harm (eg this paper). If paracetamol (acetaminophen) was discovered today, no Health Authority would license it because it's toxic dose is too close to the therapeutic dose. Generally, they like to see a 10x safety ratio, with paracetamol it can be as low as 2x daily dose.

Pulaski

I remember that was the case, and yes, death by paracetamol OD is a particularly unpleasant way to go!

Sally Redux

Surely if you need that many aspirin there's actually something wrong with you.

Pulaski

My jar of 100 lasted me several years. ...... After I realized I was suffering from caffeine withdrawal my consumption dropped very considerably.

Mrs Danvers

You're deliberately calling the EU the European Onion aren't you? I thought it was just a typo last week.

On the subject of pharmacies and how they dispense, I had to visit a blind patient last week merely to cut her 15mg tablets in half. Why the pharmacy dispensed them that way and couldn't do it themselves I'll never know as the MD order read 7.5mg. Seeing as Medicare can be billed 7x my hourly rate, I'd say the cheapest option would have been to have the pharmacy tech do it. The pharmacy bill Medicare too. Healthcare is such a wasteful business and this sort of thing is the thin end of the wedge.

mikelincs

My wife takes thyroxine daily, 159ug, however in the UK thyroxine is only available in 50 and 100ug tablets so she takes 2 tablets each day, when we lived in Spain, she was on the same dose, and the local pharmacies dispensed 150ug tablets, now we are all part of the EU, so if 150ug tablets are available in one country, why not in the UK?

yellowroom

Short answer, because the 150ug tablet may not be licensed in the UK.

Licensing of drugs in the EU is complicated, there are many different routes to do it. Many drugs, particularly older ones, are approved and licensed in each individual country. Newer ones may be approved centrally via the European Medicines Agency, however it's not obligatory and in some circumstances is not advantageous. [there are other routes too, but simplifying for post length]

In addition, EU countries not only have to approve a license for a drug, but there is usually a government authority that negotiates/approves cost. For example, NICE decides whether the NHS will pay for it. This adds layers of complexity on whether you can get your medication in each country.

mikelincs

One treatment for osteoarthritis was/is Asprin in large doses, around 6,000mg a day.

Yorkieabroad

Oh dear. My immediate thought was that they were trying to boost bandaid sales... Sorry.

Out of interest, if the doc is prescribing to the nearest 0.5mg, how accurately can a tablet be cut ? I know when I was having to give my pooch half a tablet twice a day, more often that not she would get closer to 3/4 and 1/4 than half and half...

Mrs Danvers

Well it's best to use a pill cutter and if the pill is not scored in half they aren't meant to be cut. you have to line up each individual pill with the score line to be cut. Very fiddly job if the pills are small but it's about the most accurate way I know of and I'm sure that even then the pills aren't exactly halved. I'll bet the pharmacy has better pill cutters than I'm equipped with.

Pulaski

If you’re taking at least two doses a day then it most drugs average out in your bloodstream, and it would be 24-48hrs at least, at the end of the prescription, before the drug will disappear from your bloodstream.

Hotscot

Presumably

Sally Redux

All I was wondering really was why in the UK you get the proper packet, in the US it could be anything in that little tub thingy. Seems like it's to do with space, but they have more space there.