Rule/ law regarding over the counter medication

[Ridgewalk]

Could someone explain this to me please ? I have a relative at home, who has symptoms of a cold and a sore throat. I went to the local co-op supermarket and

bought ibrupfen and aspirin , one packet of each and tried to buy two packets of throat lozenges. The Cashier refused to serve me with one packet of throat lozenges as the “ computer said that I had already bought two packets of tablets already”. There were two different brands of throat lozenges and the cashier randomly selected one that i couldn’t buy, i told her that as a customer i would choose which one, as it was my money to spend

 

Are throat lozenges a danger ?

 

Anyone else had this happen to them ?

[ez8004]

Don’t think the cashier randomly picked a packet not to sell you. Most likely selected a packet due to its contents.

[Cyclone]

Unless the throat lozenges contained paracetamol then the system has been set up wrong.

[cgksheff]

You can't buy aspirin in the supermarket.

It has been pharmacy-only for some time now.

[samonosuke]

I bought some aspirin from Morrisons yesterday. It's just age restricted

[Cyclone]

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=aspirin

 

You can buy it at Tesco.

 

Helpfully the details include

 

"By law, we’re only permitted to sell you 2 of this item ."

 

---------- Post added 30-12-2017 at 09:47 ----------

 

I can't find any throat lozengers with a similar warning

 

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=strepsils

 

Paracetamol obviously have it, but if the tills are correctly configured you can buy 2*paracetamol and 2*aspirin since they're different drugs.

 

Interestingly Tesco have ibuprofen labelled with the warning, but I don't think this is a legal requirement since it's basically impossible to overdose with it.

 

Legally, retailers may sell up to 100 tablets or capsules of non-effervescent paracetamol or aspirin in one transaction. There is no legal limit on the amount of ibuprofen that may be sold.15 Dec 2009

Appears that the law does group together paracetamol and aspirin though, but there should be no restriction on ibuprofen.

 

---------- Post added 30-12-2017 at 09:50 ----------

 

Tesco have probably applied this "guidance"

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407287/Appendix_4_-_Blue_Guide.pdf

 

Which starts by just talking about pain relief medication, then goes on to be specific about the law regarding paracetamol and aspirin.

 

Don’t sell more than two packs in any one transaction

That's guidance, not the law and is unfortunately vague.

 

To OD on aspirin would take approx 1 tablet (300mg)/kg of body weight. (That's to OD to a fatal level). Easier than I expected actually.

 

Ibuprofen toxicity is much more variable, a toxic dose would be 2 tablets (400mg)/kg, but it's only rarely fatal.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/CLT-100100917?journalCode=ictx19

Edited December 30, 2017 by Cyclone

[willman]

Perhaps the person to ask is a pharmacist. They'll know better than anyone on here googling all day.

 

It may also depend on the definition of throat lozenges - sudafed,Beechamsmax strength and tyrozets if available) are lozenges but they aren't lockets or halls mentholyptus.

[cgksheff]

I bought some aspirin from Morrisons yesterday. It's just age restricted

 

Thank you. I stand corrected.

 

Strangely, it is not available in my nearby supermarkets, and I had been told that it had gone pharmacy-only.

 

Now that I look at the British National Formulary, I see that some brands of 300g Aspirin (32) are on the General Sales List (GSL), but some brands are Pharmacy-only (P):

https://bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-forms/aspirin.html#PHP77434

 

... without any apparent differences in product.

[Ridgewalk]

You can't buy aspirin in the supermarket.

It has been pharmacy-only for some time now.

 

 

My mistake it was paracetamol

 

---------- Post added 30-12-2017 at 13:02 ----------

 

Don’t think the cashier randomly picked a packet not to sell you. Most likely selected a packet due to its contents.

 

No disrespect meant to the cashier, just doing her job, but that comment seems to assume a level of knowledge beyond her capability and role.

 

It wasn’t a Pharmacy it was the co-op in the centre of Hoyland.

[tinfoilhat]

It's a law brought in in the late 90s to make harder for people to off themselves. You can buy aspirin, paracetamol and ibrufen from any shop but in limited quantities. Most shop have systems in place that will flag up when that limit has been reached - cashiers won't know or care it's worked out for them.

 

Try at another co-op or a Tesco, the result will be the same, they can't sell more than two packs (or equivalent) of a paracetamol or aspirin or ibuprofen. You'll need a pharmacy if you want more or just go to separate shops.