Has the rescheduling of modified-release paracetamol in Australia affected the frequency of overdoses?
Emerg Med Australas
; 36(4): 589-595, 2024 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38529697
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
In June 2020, modified-release paracetamol (paracetamol-MR) preparations were up-scheduled from schedule-2 (available in pharmacy) to schedule-3 (available by request to a pharmacist only). The present study aims to ascertain whether up-scheduling affected the frequency of paracetamol-MR overdoses.METHODS:
This is a retrospective cohort study of two data sets from 1 June 2017 to 31 May 2022. Monash Health data were extracted using the diagnosis of paracetamol overdose coding and electronic medical records data. Calls regarding paracetamol-MR overdoses to Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC) were extracted from the Poisons centre call database. We used a quasi-experimental research design with interrupted time series analysis to evaluate the immediate impact and change in trend of poisoning-related calls and ED presentations before and after June 2020. The change in proportion of paracetamol-MR cases in both databases was analysed using the Χ2 test.RESULTS:
The proportion of paracetamol-MR cases in both data sets did not change. From Monash Health, there was no level change in monthly paracetamol-MR overdose-related presentations following re-scheduling (rate ratio [RR] = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.57-2.01). There was no change in monthly paracetamol-MR overdose-related calls to VPIC following re-scheduling (RR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.96-1.14).CONCLUSION:
The proportion of paracetamol-MR overdoses did not decrease after the up-scheduling to S3. Similarly, the frequency of overdoses by month remained similar. Further limitations on access to paracetamol products may need to be considered.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Overdose de Drogas
/
Acetaminofen
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article