The production of paracetamol in France had ceased in 2008, when the last production site of the drug, based in Roussillon, in Isère, closed its doors. Although paracetamol is the best-selling painkiller in France (and in Europe), the production site could not withstand the Asian wave and the twice-month high production cost of Indian or Chinese paracetamol.
But there was the covid-19 crisis. Faced with the risk of a shortage of the drug, the health authorities had to impose restrictions on pharmacists. The latter could only deliver one box of paracetamol per patient showing no symptoms of the coronavirus, or 2 boxes in the event of symptoms (pain and / or fever). A few days ago, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron therefore announced the upcoming launch of a plan to relocate health industries. And the first step of this plan was not long in coming: an agreement was signed with the pharmaceutical subcontractor Seqens, which announced yesterday that the Roussillon production site would resume service in 2023 to manufacture paracetamol powder. This production will be intended for laboratories Sanofi (for Doliprane) and Upsa (for Efferalgan), which until now were content to package in France paracetamol imported from Asia.
Paracetamol: no more than 3000 mg per day
Paracetamol is a safe and effective drug under normal conditions of use, that is, when you do not exceed 3 g (3000 mg) in the day and do not take more than one gram ( i.e. 1000 mg) per dose. It is also the first painkiller that is recommended to take in self-medication in case of pain or fever, before non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) and aspirin.
Why not more than 3 tablets or sachets of 1000 mg per day? Quite simply because paracetamol is also a drug that can be toxic to the liver in case of overdose, sometimes causing irreversible damage which leads to liver transplantation. which can lead to liver transplants. The abuse of paracetamol is thus the first cause of drug-induced liver transplant in France.
Paracetamol is no longer freely available
This is why the health authorities decided a few months ago to strengthen the information on the boxes of paracetamol-based medicines in order to make patients and health professionals aware of the risks associated with misuse. Now the massage “Overdose = danger. Exceeding the dose can destroy the liver” appears on all boxes of Doliprane, Efferalgan, Dafalgan … in short, of all drugs with the paracetamol as active ingredient.
This is also the reason why since 2020 paracetamol is no longer in free access to the drugstore.
The National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) recalls the usual precautions:
- No more than 3 g per day in adults over 50 kg, divided into several doses spaced 4 to 6 hours apart.
- The dosage can go up to 4 g per day on medical prescription.
- Maximum duration of treatment in the absence of a prescription: 3 days in case of fever, 5 days in case of pain.
- To take on medical advice when you are in pain mild to moderate hepatic insufficiency, severe renal insufficiency, chronic alcoholism or weighing less than 50 kg.
If your fever persists beyond 3 days, call your doctor.
In France, nearly 200 drugs containing paracetamol, alone or in combination with other substances, are currently available with or without a medical prescription to treat pain, fever or cold symptoms.
Read also :
- Paracetamol: consumed too often and in too much quantity
- Avoid ibuprofen and paracetamol during pregnancy
