Supermarkets banned from selling large packs of paracetamol Packs of more than 21 Panadol tablets will only be available from pharmacies. SUPERMARKETS will be banned from selling large packs of the pain killer paracetamol in a crackdown by the medicines safety watchdog. The measure is designed to curb the number of overdoses and adverse events linked to the drug and follows changes to dosing regimens overseas. From next month, packs containing more than 21 paracetamol tablets will only be available in pharmacies. The move comes as a result of growing concern that 8000 patients a year are treated for paracetamol overdoses as a result of deliberate self-harm. News Corporation reported last year that there were more than 28,324 adverse drug events linked to paracetamol reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration in the past five years. Paracetamol overdose can result in liver damage and, at very high dosages, can be fatal. Evidence considered by the medicines watchdog found the median dose taken during an overdose incident is 12 grams. There are 10 grams of paracetamol in one pack of 20 tablets. Two years ago, US drug company McNeil Consumer Healthcare announced its decision to cut the dose recommendations on their paracetamol product Tylenol from 4000 mg to 3000mg per day. The same year, the UK medicines regulatory agency changed its recommended paracetamol doses for children. The TGA says it considered these changes, but will not alter its own higher recommend doses for patients in Australia. The TGA says the recommended paracetamol dose for adults and children 12 years and over is 500 to 1000 mg every four to six hours as necessary, with a maximum of 4000 mg in any 24 hour period. "The decision to decrease the pack size was made after considering the risks of different pack sizes in Australia," a spokeswoman for the TGA said. "It is expected that this decision will result in fewer people requiring medical intervention following a paracetamol overdose, as has been demonstrated in the UK," a spokeswoman for the Therapeutic Goods Administration said.