Shops and supermarkets routinely ignore guidelines aimed at reducing self-poisoning and suicide by paracetamol, according to the Eastern Regional Health Authority. Every one of 100 shops, supermarkets and petrol stations visited by its researchers sold them 48 paracetamol tablets - four times the amount recommended by the Irish Medicines Board.
Now the ERHA has called for legislation to make the guidelines legally binding. The Department of Health and Children says regulations will be published by the end of June.
The survey was conducted by Dr Marie Laffoy, public health specialist with the ERHA. Because of concerns about self-poisoning through paracetamol, she said, the Irish Medicines Board had introduced "really good" voluntary guidelines in 1997.
Since then, hospital admissions due to paracetamol overdose had dropped by only 1.9 per cent. By contrast, in Britain, where the regulations are legally binding, there had been "huge reductions in paracetamol poisoning and huge reductions in liver transplants due to paracetamol poisoning".
People who overdose on paracetamol often feel relief when nothing happens and think there is no need to seek medical attention. In fact, their livers may be going into failure, a process which can take two to three days. There is an antidote to paracetamol poisoning, but it must be taken within 15 hours.
In 1999, hospitals had 3,406 admissions for self-poisoning, according to figures from the Minister for Health in October. Of these, 1,003 were diagnosed as paracetamol poisoning cases.
If a packet of 12 tablets - of which no more than eight should be taken in 24 hours - was not enough to meet a person's needs, they should be going to their doctor, Dr Laffoy said.
In October, the Minister said almost all manufacturers had agreed to support the Irish Medicines Board recommendation that paracetamol should not be sold in non-pharmacy outlets in packs of more than 12. But Dr Laffoy said in some shops she had been able to buy packs of 24.