Paracetamol-project (Danish Pack size restriction)

Paracetamol is reported to be the most frequently used drug for overdoses in European countries. An international concern has emerged and interventions, such as age and pack size restriction on non-opioid analgesics sold OTC in pharmacies, have been implemented.
The method applied was a nationwide register study investigating the trend in hospital admissions for non-opioid analgesic poisonings before and after the implementation of age and pack size restriction in Denmark in 2011 and 2013, respectively. The trend in rates of severe poisonings was also investigated using nationwide laboratory data as blood tests taken routinely during admission in the period 2011-2013. After the age and the pack size restriction we found significantly reduced numbers of non-opioid analgesics poisonings. Also, the number of severe poisonings treated in Danish hospitals decreased after the pack size restriction indicating reduced risk of liver injury.
We concluded that a significant reduction in trends of poisoning by non-opioid analgesics treated in hospitals and fewer severe poisonings was observed after the legislative changes in Denmark.

Link to the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016503271932957X

The project in the media
Politiken

DRISP: Britt Morthorst

Partners:

• Frank Eriksson, PhD, Associate Professor, Institute of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen
• Keith Hawton, Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, United Kingdom