New regulations regarding pain medications in Australia: What you should understand

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From Saturday, new rules on how paracetamol is sold in Australia will come into effect.

The aim is to reduce the risk of overdose and serious harm, especially among young people.

These changes affect both shoppers and retailers. Here’s what you need to know.

How the paracetamol pack size changes will affect you

From Saturday, if you’re buying paracetamol from a supermarket, petrol station, or convenience store, the biggest pack you’ll find is 16 tablets or capsules, and they’ll all be in blister packs.

Some stores may also limit you to one pack per purchase.

Chemists will still sell larger packs, but there are new limits.

If you’re buying paracetamol off the shelf (without speaking to a pharmacist), the biggest pack will be 50 tablets or capsules instead of the current 100. If you need more, you’ll have to ask a pharmacist, and they can sell you up to 100.

Some states, such as Queensland and Western Australia, have extra restrictions so you might need to check in with a pharmacist for anything bigger than 16 tablets.

Why have paracetamol pack sizes changed

Around 50 Australians die from paracetamol poisoning each year, and over 200 end up in hospital with liver damage.

An expert review commissioned by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) confirmed there were increasing rates of intentional self-poisoning with paracetamol in the last decade in Australia, with the greatest proportion of cases in adolescents and young adults. Females were significantly over-represented.

Due to paracetamol being easily accessible and available to buy and store at home, it has contributed to overdoses.

The TGA said the new measures are designed to balance the need for accessible pain relief with reducing potential harm from paracetamol misuse.