Australian authorities will review the use of the common pain-killer drug paracetamol, after concerns were raised in the United States about possible side-effects, including liver failure.
Three US advisory committees have recommended the maximum daily dosage be reduced, but the main regulator is yet to make a final decision.
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is following developments in the US and says it will "review the current use and misuse of paracetamol-containing medicines to identify if any regulatory action is warranted".
But a TGA spokeswoman insisted paracetamol was a safe medicine for pain relief and fever "when used in accordance with the directions on the label".
"Accidental or deliberate paracetamol overdose can result in liver damage and at very high dosages can be fatal," she said.
Australian Medical Association president Andrew Pesce says it's well known that paracetamol is "potentially dangerous" if excessive amounts are consumed.
"You can't just keep taking more paracetamol without taking on some risk of ill effects," Dr Pesce told ABC Radio.
But Australians generally didn't take too much of the drug.
"Paracetamol is considered a fairly low-level pain killer and I think on its own it's not usually taken in any excessive amounts."
Dr Pesce said the real danger arose when someone inadvertently took more than they realised.
People should remember paracetamol was increasingly included in cold and flu tablets and other "compound" drugs.
"If you aren't aware of that there's the risk of inadvertently taking a lot more than you thought you were," Dr Pesce said.
Front page
RSS Feed