Stupid rule about paracetamol - why?

Question

In Morrison's (a British supermarket) today I wasn't allowed to buy more than two packs of paracetamol - that's only 32 tablets in total?

When i asked why the woman said it was "company policy".

Why do they have that rule? Do they know that in america you can buy tubs of 1,000?

Answer 1

Apparently what you call paracetomol is what we in the US call Tylenol (acetominophen). If you take several doses (2000 mg or 4 extra strength pills) and also drink 2 or more alcoholic beverages, it can cause serious liver problems. A single dose of 7 to 10 grams of acetaminophen (14 to 20 extra-strength tablets) can cause liver injury in the average healthy adult.

It is true that you can buy huge quantities of it here.  

Answer 2

Here in the USA you can not buy more then 24 because they think everybody is making crystal meth. If paracetamol is a cold medicine. I don't know what that is.  

Answer 3

It's a fairly recent rule designed to avoid the spur-of-the-moment suicidal overdose. NHS doesn't like paying for liver transplants.