How much paracetamol can you sell at once? Find out with our simple guide

As you know, medicines are divided up into three categories: general sales list (GSL), meaning they can be sold by anyone; pharmacy (P), only to be sold in pharmacies; and prescription-only (POM). These categories aren't just assigned to different drugs, but also different strengths, formulations and pack sizes. Paracetamol is a good example, as it straddles all three categories.

For tablets and capsules, the simple answer is up to 100 can be sold in one purchase; this will mean several packs – as anything larger than a pack of 32 is a POM medicine and non-pharmacy retailers can only sell in packs of 16. However, in practice most retailers will sell far less; it is considered good practice to only sell a maximum of two packs to prevent the risk of overdose.

In February, a study published in the BMJ looked at paracetamol-related deaths and found they had fallen 43 per cent since pack limits were introduced in 1998.

However, the two-pack limit is not the law and, as long as retailers sell less than 100 tablets in total, customers can buy as many packs as they wish.

Things get a little more complicated with other types of paracetamol. When it comes to effervescent (dispersible) paracetamol, or paracetamol liquid, there are no limits to the amount that can be sold. However, there are limits to the pack size, and limitations on who is allowed to buy them. If in doubt, the best course of action is to check your pharmacy's policy.

This will usually be to only sell two packs of paracetamol to a customer at any one time – but don't be afraid to refer the patient to the pharmacist  if you're unsure.