Paracetamol

Go to different shops while out that's what I do

Lemontart

Pharmacies can sell you packs of 60.

People with a chronic need for paracetamol need to take 8 a day. 60 tablets would last a week.

The legal limit (which I copied and pasted before) is 100.

You can speak to the Pharmacist and they are able to sell you more if you have a medical need. Our son had a prolapsed disc and it was cheaper for him to buy the paracetamol and ibuprofen in larger quantities from the chemist than it was for him to pay for a prescription.

Your GP should have details of the treatment proposed by the hospital. Don't think you need to actually visit your GP, perhaps a message left with receptionist requesting a prescription will be enough. Or, if not, Practice should contact you to advise what's needed to obtain prescription.

Pharmacies can sell you packs of 60.

As an aside, when my MIL died and we cleared her house, I found huge brown glass bottles of paracetamol in the bathroom! They were Boots brand, expiry date around 1996. No mimsy little pop out packets then! I took them to the local Boots in New Milton for disposal and they didn't want to know. I've later discovered pharmacists are legally obliged to accept and dispose of unwanted or out of date meds.

Dizzyribs

You can ask your local pharmacist. They are allowed to sell you more if they know what it's for and in their opinion it's needed. They are highly trained professionals in their field with some, limited, powers to do this for people.
They will usually check with your GP or consultant directly (so no need for you to have another appointment) .
They may even be able to organise it for you on prescription delivered to them if you have been prescribed it by a doctor,.

It's illegal to sell more than a 100 at a time without a prescription. For some people, that's just enough for 12 days.

Mr GO was on a high dose of paracetamol for years, pending knee replacements, and we used to ask the pharmacists for the largest box they had available, and we were able to buy 2 boxes of that size at a time.
However, people on long term use of this should be monitored by their GP, as there are side effects from prolonged use.

You can ask your local pharmacist. They are allowed to sell you more if they know what it's for and in their opinion it's needed. They are highly trained professionals in their field with some, limited, powers to do this for people.
They will usually check with your GP or consultant directly (so no need for you to have another appointment) .
They may even be able to organise it for you on prescription delivered to them if you have been prescribed it by a doctor,.

Explain this to your GP and he or she can prescribe larger amounts.

My life got better, when I was eventually referred to a pain clinic.
The consultant agreed that my pain was no longer manageable, despite trying most of the usual painkillers, some mentioned on here.

Corner, I agree with you, unless you have lived with chronic pain on a daily basis, you cannot understand how difficult life can be.
There comes to a point, where you need the support of a medical professional, to develop a treatment plan.

Have you been referred to a Pain Clinic cornergran? I'm not sure what they do or how good their methods are but it might be worth investigating.

I must say I'm rather alarmed that having a knee replacement may not give the pain relief hoped for!!

No calli not a treating medical professional. One was in an allied occupation and definitely should have known better, the others people I met on a committee. I am told I look well, which is probably the root cause. Interestingly after a knee replacement in 2021 I was complimented on the way I dealt with pain. Practice seems to make perfect.

The issue of prescribed paracetamol is a recurring debate. In fairness I don’t think anyone who hasn’t managed chronic pain can truly understand how hard each day can be. Getting out of bed can be enough of a challenge without the need to go in search of pain medication. Many people pretend they are relatively pain free when they are far from it, glue on a smile and face the day. I’m not unique in that I’ve not had a day without pain for over 30 years. I manage it, painkillers play a part in that management, a prescription is often the only way a GP can truly help. It’s not a straightforward issue.

I left the pharmacy in 2003 so am not au fait with current guidelines.

When I required it regularly following knee surgery,. and then again after an accident, I asked my friends to pick them up for me while shopping.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Presumably pharmacies receive the same fee however much the prescribed drug costs the NHS to buy. Therefore, the percentage paid to the pharmacist on a cheap drug is much greater than it is on a more expensive one. Paracetamol in itself doesn't cost the NHS very much.

Casdon

Wyllow3

A major reason its limited to max 32 over the counter because it's used to self harm/suicide widely. Obviously someone can go round several places, but that the reason only chemists just sell 32's and its 16 in supermarkets.

Probably best to leave large regular dosage in the hands of proper prescriptions/consultants letter.

It’s the additional cost of the prescription that is annoying Wyllow3. I wouldn’t in any way suggest that regular use shouldn’t be monitored, but the NHS paying so much more for it when prescribed is not right.

Ah, see your point. something very wrong there in supply chain!

BlueBelle

It’s a daft rule really because you can walk round the pharmacy or cheap shop/or supermarket etc and literally buy your two packets then walk round again and buy another couple then go next door to the next cheap shop and do it all again

Apart from the people who need them, who probably find walking difficult.

Obviously it must be OK to dispense larger amounts, if they are on prescription and not being purchased.

Pittcity

When I worked in a pharmacy we were allowed to sell more soluble paracetamol than non-soluble.

The MHRA guidance I posted was issued in 2012. If you worked in a pharmacy after that date and sold more than 100 in a single transaction, you were breaking the law.

It’s a daft rule really because you can walk round the pharmacy or cheap shop/or supermarket etc and literally buy your two packets then walk round again and buy another couple then go next door to the next cheap shop and do it all again

When I worked in a pharmacy we were allowed to sell more soluble paracetamol than non-soluble.

I get 200 paracetamol at a time on prescription.