[debjane]

In my previous professional life, I witnessed the slow, painful death of a young person in intensive care with liver failure, she had intentionally overdosed on paracetamol. Just one example of the many overdoses witnessed in my four plus decade career. I witnessed physical and psychological dependence upon paracetamol in many people, not just for pain relief. It does happen!
Paracetamol is toxic to your liver! Too many people rely upon this chemical, as the one and only go to medicine, without realising just how dangerous it is! Unintentional overdose does happen, as well as intentional.
As a retired professional nurse, I am all for regulation!

I read recently panadol is the go to drug for teen girls to use to try to commit suicide, so many end up in hospital from the damage caused by it, guys try the booze and speed as their form of commiting suicide, some form of restriction is needed, anyone can just go to a supermarket and buy it now, I can remember when it was chemist only.

 

[Rob44]

In my previous professional life, I witnessed the slow, painful death of a young person in intensive care with liver failure, she had intentionally overdosed on paracetamol. Just one example of the many overdoses witnessed in my four plus decade career. I witnessed physical and psychological dependence upon paracetamol in many people, not just for pain relief. It does happen!
Paracetamol is toxic to your liver! Too many people rely upon this chemical, as the one and only go to medicine, without realising just how dangerous it is! Unintentional overdose does happen, as well as intentional.
As a retired professional nurse, I am all for regulation!

 

[Rob44]

I have witnessed a head-on car crash. The passenger had had her elbow broken and torn open, the driver had to be cut out using the jaws of life and his leg must have been smashed in several place and the dog had gone through the front window. In the other car the driver had smashed his chest onto the steering wheel among other unpleasanr sights. Another car crash, 2 small kids will live with injuries inhibiting comfort for the next 70 years and two other people are dead. I have been sideswiped by two car-drivers when riding a motorcycle and a bicycle and in both cases I was neither speeding nor under the influence of any drug; the other drivers were crossing the main road I was riding on. I walk because I was lucky; others can't after such accidents. In all cases to which I refer the accidents were the result of carelessness to do with drivers not paying proper attention to oncoming traffic.

So, do we abolish cars for our safety? Now about smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes........How much pain and suffering is caused by the addictive drug, nicotine?

At least paracetamol helps people live with chronic pain and paracetamol osteo and panadeine (the one with few grains of codeine) can assist with relieving the pain of osteoporosis; having to pay $90 at a GP clinic for yet another prescription will merely add to a lot of difficulty and misery for many and in particular the elderly.

 

[RobD]

I have witnessed a head-on car crash. The passenger had had her elbow broken and torn open, the driver had to be cut out using the jaws of life and his leg must have been smashed in several place and the dog had gone through the front window. In the other car the driver had smashed his chest onto the steering wheel among other unpleasanr sights. Another car crash, 2 small kids will live with injuries inhibiting comfort for the next 70 years and two other people are dead. I have been sideswiped by two car-drivers when riding a motorcycle and a bicycle and in both cases I was neither speeding nor under the influence of any drug; the other drivers were crossing the main road I was riding on. I walk because I was lucky; others can't after such accidents. In all cases to which I refer the accidents were the result of carelessness to do with drivers not paying proper attention to oncoming traffic.

So, do we abolish cars for our safety? Now about smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes........How much pain and suffering is caused by the addictive drug, nicotine?

At least paracetamol helps people live with chronic pain and paracetamol osteo and panadeine (the one with few grains of codeine) can assist with relieving the pain of osteoporosis; having to pay $90 at a GP clinic for yet another prescription will merely add to a lot of difficulty and misery for many and in particular the elderly.

As this thread is about paracetamol regulation by the TGA, I expressed my own opinion. With many years of first hand experience as my reference point.
Abolish cars? Because you had a close call and responded to an accident?
Cigarettes and other tobacco products are already heavily regulated.
Regulation will have a negative effect initially, people will not agree.
Knowing I will never again have to deal with the death of another child caused by the overuse of paracetamol, administered by an unknowing parent; knowing I will never again have to triage and treat paracetamol overdose, further encourages my belief in regulation.

 

[Ezzy]

Not well thought out by the TGA. Most of my thoughts on this have been adequately stated by other readers here.

One thought that came to mind while reading the main article was reference to a prescription for under 18's. Do they really think this will stop people in this age bracket or under from acquiring these medications without a prescription? How were those in the younger generation able to get alcohol or cigarettes if they could not purchase these themselves? A retailer is not going to risk getting caught & a fine, are they? A scrupulous adult however would gladly appease these children if there were something in it for them. ( The old W.I.I.F.M. or What's in it For Me ).

 

[Rob44]

As this thread is about paracetamol regulation by the TGA, I expressed my own opinion. With many years of first hand experience as my reference point.
Abolish cars? Because you had a close call and responded to an accident?
Cigarettes and other tobacco products are already heavily regulated.
Regulation will have a negative effect initially, people will not agree.
Knowing I will never again have to deal with the death of another child caused by the overuse of paracetamol, administered by an unknowing parent; knowing I will never again have to triage and treat paracetamol overdose, further encourages my belief in regulation.

So, do we abolish cars for our safety? Some have seen the deaths or injury caused by incorrect use of readily available over-the-counter medicines that relieve pain; others have seen the misery and fear caused by incorrect use of motor-vehicles.

How much financial difficulty can we avoid for those who need regular or irregular use of analgesics to get by? $90 minus the Medicare rebate is worth several healthy home-cooked meals. Travel to a GP's practice costs money (petrol; oil; maintenance; transport fares), time and indeed risk; and if the person finds it physically hard to move because of joint-pain, etcetera? Someone who suffers from migraines and is not eligible for bulk-billing or cannot get an appointment to see a GP in time to get a prescription?

I appreciate your comments and understand your experiences. Bulk-billed telehealth could be one answer to our concerns.