Paracetamol dispensing guidelines

[reallymadwoman]

Anyone know how to get around these? I need the maximum dose every day and we're getting a bit fed up with having to go to the pharmacy on average twice a week. Is there any way I can buy 2 weeks worth in one go?

[renegadeimp]

Nope. Unles syour doctor gave a prescription, theyre bound by law to only sell a specific amount. There are obvious ways around it, but we arent allowed to go into it here

[renegadeimp]

http://www.rpharms.com/legal-classification-of-medicines-db/paracetamol-legal-status-table.asp

[BazzaS]

Anyone know how to get around these? I need the maximum dose every day and we're getting a bit fed up with having to go to the pharmacy on average twice a week. Is there any way I can buy 2 weeks worth in one go?

 

Other than getting a prescription for a very large container's worth, or one of the "dodges" that another poster has noted shouldn't be mentioned....

 

maximum adult dose is x2 of 500 mg, 4 times a day (8 standard tablets).

 

Then can sell 100 at a time, usually a pack size of 32, so effectively 3 packs of 32 or 6 packs of 16 (so 96 at a time), from a pharmacy, without a prescription.

 

That is 12 days worth at a time.

[obiter dictum]

Was in poundland yesterday morning and selling off cheap packets of paracetamol. Three for a pound. They stated they were only allowed to sell three boxes per customer. This is in Northern Ireland

[Old Cogger]

2 in england etc

[Stigman]

You really need to book an appointment with your doctor.

 

If you require the maximum amount of Paracetamol every day then you need to book an appointment so your Doctor can prescribe you effective pain relief which is also correctly manged in your best health interests.

 

Stigman

[reallymadwoman]

You really need to book an appointment with your doctor.

 

If you require the maximum amount of Paracetamol every day then you need to book an appointment so your Doctor can prescribe you effective pain relief which is also correctly manged in your best health interests.

 

Stigman

 

The paracetamol is part of my pain management regime, but I've never been offered or asked for a prescription, didn't even occur to me, so I'll try that first.

[BazzaS]

You really need to book an appointment with your doctor.

 

If you require the maximum amount of Paracetamol every day then you need to book an appointment so your Doctor can prescribe you effective pain relief which is also correctly manged in your best health interests.

 

Stigman

 

Which (the "effective pain relief") might be "regular paracetamol, at the current dose (the daily safe maximum)!.

 

Other NSAIDs may not be apropriate for the OP, and if they have symptom control on maximum dose paracetamol, why add opioids?

 

Advantages of going to the GP's include review of the painkillers, and the possibility of a prescription for a larger quantity of paracetamol even if the current plan isn't changed.

 

Does the OP pay for prescriptions?.

Say 50p for a pack of 32 paracetamol. Prescription charge £8.40 : just under 17 "50p's", so a prescription for 500 paracetamol may not save any money (just lots of trips to the pharmacy!).

[Stigman]

If it is continuous usage then over time the Paracetamol will become less effective as the body accepts this as the norm.

 

Just buying Paracetamol endlessly is not the solution.

 

Stigman

[BazzaS]

If it is continuous usage then over time the Paracetamol will become less effective as the body accepts this as the norm.

 

Just buying Paracetamol endlessly is not the solution.

 

Stigman

 

Tolerance (as differentiated from addiction) is well recognised for opiates/ opioids.

 

Tolerance (needing more to get the same effect, or reduced effect for the same dose) is not something I'm familiar with for paracetamol : do you have cites / references for paracetamol tolerance effects?.

[ThedaBara]

Which (the "effective pain relief") might be "regular paracetamol, at the current dose (the daily safe maximum)!.

 

Other NSAIDs may not be apropriate for the OP, and if they have symptom control on maximum dose paracetamol, why add opioids?

 

Advantages of going to the GP's include review of the painkillers, and the possibility of a prescription for a larger quantity of paracetamol even if the current plan isn't changed.

 

Does the OP pay for prescriptions?.

Say 50p for a pack of 32 paracetamol. Prescription charge £8.40 : just under 17 "50p's", so a prescription for 500 paracetamol may not save any money (just lots of trips to the pharmacy!).

 

 

Never understood why you have to pay £8.40 for prescription (in my case, statins) when the drugs cost pennies to manufacture... I think a months worth of simvastatin costs about 90p. TB

[renegadeimp]

Its free over here in wales But the costs come because pharamceutical companies and distributers know they can charge the governement a fortune and the government will pay it. A £10 prescription actually costs a LOT more than that.

[BazzaS]

Never understood why you have to pay £8.40 for prescription (in my case, statins) when the drugs cost pennies to manufacture... I think a months worth of simvastatin costs about 90p. TB

 

Other side of the coin, meds that cost well in excess of £8.40 per scrip, such as erythropoietin or infliximab.

Should they charge different amounts for different "costs bands"?

Charge people who need "expensive meds" more than people who need "cheap meds"? : it would add a whole new layer of complexity / admin.

 

The prescription charge is meant to be a flat fee and not representative of the medicines cost. Naturally this means there will be "winners" and "loosers".

Paracetamol might be cheaper (per tablet) over the counter. However, does that factor in the convenience of one trip to the chemist per month rather than one or more per week?.

[Stigman]

Never understood why you have to pay £8.40 for prescription (in my case, statins) when the drugs cost pennies to manufacture... I think a months worth of simvastatin costs about 90p. TB

 

Just one of my drugs costs £1,408.56 (Taken from the nice.org.uk website) per month, this excludes 7 others including Morphine and Tramadol.

 

Stigman

[ThedaBara]

Other side of the coin, meds that cost well in excess of £8.40 per scrip, such as erythropoietin or infliximab.

Should they charge different amounts for different "costs bands"?

Charge people who need "expensive meds" more than people who need "cheap meds"? : it would add a whole new layer of complexity / admin.

 

The prescription charge is meant to be a flat fee and not representative of the medicines cost. Naturally this means there will be "winners" and "loosers".

Paracetamol might be cheaper (per tablet) over the counter. However, does that factor in the convenience of one trip to the chemist per month rather than one or more per week?.

 

Point taken! TB

[ThedaBara]

Just one of my drugs costs £1,408.56 (Taken from the nice.org.uk website) per month, this excludes 7 others including Morphine and Tramadol.

 

Stigman

 

 

Ouch! TB

[citizenB]

You really need to book an appointment with your doctor.

 

If you require the maximum amount of Paracetamol every day then you need to book an appointment so your Doctor can prescribe you effective pain relief which is also correctly manged in your best health interests.

 

Stigman

 

The paracetamol is part of my pain management regime, but I've never been offered or asked for a prescription, didn't even occur to me, so I'll try that first.

 

 

Indeed, I would see your GP and obtain a prescription for a month's supply. If you are exempt from prescription charges then that would be a saving of both money and your time.

[think about it]

There's no need (for the medication alone, you may wish to discuss your issue with a GP) to make a GP appointment for this, larger quantities can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy for just as cheap. Last year I too was using maximum dose of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen alongside other prescription meds for pain control and I found it easier to buy almost in bulk from the same chemist who dispensed my other prescriptions. The pharmacist quickly learned who I was and that I wasn't stockpiling to do something awful.