Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler has launched a new information campaign to promote safe sales of paracetamol by staff working in pharmacy and non-pharmacy retail settings. The campaign will promote new information packs that will be available nationally for staff working in pharmacy, and non-pharmacy retail settings. The objective of the information campaign is to: 

•  enhance the messaging around safe sales of paracetamol
•  support improved implementation of paracetamol sales regulations
•  spotlight the importance of such regulations in the context of self-harm and suicide prevention efforts 

Paracetamol is the drug most frequently used in intentional drug overdose (IDO) in many countries. Its use in IDO is highest among young people (under 25 years) and there is evidence of its incidence increasing in countries, including Ireland. 

The campaign aims to improve the alertness of pharmacy and non-pharmacy retail staff to the issue of paracetamol-related intentional drug overdose in Ireland. 

Speaking at today’s launch at the Department of Health, Minister Butler said: "This campaign is a really important action under our national suicide reduction strategy, Connecting for Life. It is an essential part of our work to reduce the level of intentional self-harm with paracetamol. The campaign was developed by a multi-agency working group, with multiple agencies coming together to ensure levels of self-harm and suicide are reduced for the benefit of the population. "I would also like to pay tribute to the efforts of everyone involved in this campaign, given the importance of this topic and the lifesaving impact it may have on peoples’ lives." 

Mr. John Meehan, Head of the Health Service Executive (HSE) National Office for Suicide Prevention, said: "The HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention is very proud to support this information campaign, which aims to increase awareness among retail staff – in very different settings – of the restrictions that apply when selling paracetamol-containing products. "We should remember that everyone can contribute to reducing the levels of intentional drug overdose in Ireland. During day-to-day interactions with customers at the point-of-sale, retail staff can be very mindful of the restrictions, and make a positive difference in their community."

Paracetamol research:

• paracetamol is the drug most frequently taken in intentional and accidental overdose in Ireland, and involved in approximately 30% of hospital-presenting intentional drug overdose each year, as reported by the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland (NSHRI) with rates increasing among young people aged 18-24
• many paracetamol overdoses are clinically serious, and the physical consequences of overdoses occur in parallel with social and psychosocial impacts on individuals and their wider circles
• restricting access to means of self-harm, including paracetamol overdose, is the single most effective prevention measure
• statutory pack size and sales legislation introduced in Ireland since 2001 have led to a decrease in deaths involving paracetamol and a reduction in the toxicity of overdoses
• however, research has shown that adherence to this legislation is poor
• current regulations restrict the sale of over-the-counter paracetamol to a maximum pack of 24 tablets in pharmacies and 12 tablets in non-pharmacy outlets, with authorisation for one pack to be sold per transaction
  to address this issue, the Preventing Paracetamol-Related Drug Overdose Working Group (WG), established under an action of Connecting for Life, Ireland’s self-harm and suicide reduction strategy, was set up to improve adherence to the legislation in pharmacy and retail settings
• the group has representation from the Department of Health, the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP), the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF), the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) and consultation from retail partners. The National Suicide Research Foundation is HSE funded through the National Office for Suicide Prevention, who are tasked with leading out on implementation of the national suicide reduction strategy