From 1 February 2025 you may notice a change to the size or volume of paracetamol tablets you can purchase in one transaction:

• Supermarket package sizes will be reduced to 16 tablets per packet.
• Over-the-counter package sizes at your local pharmacy will be limited to 50 tablets per packet.

Speak to your pharmacist if you have long term paracetamol needs

Larger packets remain available as ‘pharmacist only’ medication.

If you regularly take paracetamol this may be a great opportunity to review your meds in-store and make sure you are taking the best pain relief for your circumstances.

Why is access to paracetamol changing?

When used as instructed by your medical practitioner or for short-term pain relief according to the directions on the packaging, paracetamol is both safe and effective.

However, recent studies have uncovered significant increases in rates of, often impulsive, self-harm paracetamol overdoses amongst teenage girls in Australia.

The changes effective 1 February 2025 aim to reduce the opportunity for self-harm via paracetamol overdose.

For more information on the changes consult https://www.tga.gov.au/news/blog/buy-and-use-paracetamol-safely