Teacheranne
The reason paracetamol is given on prescription for certain conditions is the quantity that is needed on a daily basis. I take up to 8 paracetamol every day so if I was buying them over the counter, I would have to buy a packet several times a week. This is not really practical especially as the reason for taking so many is pain relief for arthritis which greatly restricts my mobility. I have a form of arthritis that cannot be blamed on my lifestyle or weight and replacement surgery is not necessarily the solution.
The reason paracetamol is given on prescription for certain conditions is the quantity that is needed on a daily basis.
... thank you for posting this. When people say that paracetamol can be bought cheaply from the supermarket - they seem not to understand that the quantity you require cannot legally be sold in one purchase. Thus, as you say, you would have to buy them several times per week - or visit several different shops / supermarkets to obtain the quantity you need in one go. And you would have to do this each week.
Which is why they are sometimes on prescription. I get a bit tired of having to explain to those who tell me how cheap these paracetamol are and that I should "buy my own". I would, actually, if retailers were allowed to sell them in the quantities I need on a daily basis! As a partially disabled person with sole responsibility for my disabled partner, I really don't have the time to make the rounds of shops and supermarkets each week to do this! Fortunately, the NHS recognises how impractical this is.
