Countdown has announced it will limit paracetamol sales to one pack per customer following coroner recommendations.
The restriction comes into effect immediately and applies to all Countdown stores nationwide.
It is aimed at reducing the risk of people overdosing on the medication.
“Paracetamol is an incredibly useful and effective medicine, but as with all medicines it also needs to be respected and treated with care,” Countdown’s head pharmacist Jeremy Armes says.
“Where a customer may wish to buy larger quantities of paracetamol or items containing paracetamol, we think this is best sold in a pharmacy environment where a pharmacist can talk through the proper use of paracetamol and risks one-on-one.
“There is no doubt that mental health awareness, education and good medical support are going to make the biggest difference for Kiwis suffering with mental illness.
"However there are also significant and sometimes tragic consequences of overdose, whether that is accidental or intentional. Anything we can do to reduce this risk is important."
In 2017, Coroner David Robinson called for supermarkets to put a one-pack limit on paracetamol after a 20-year-old Dunedin student died from an accidental overdose of the medication.
According to Countdown, paracetamol is the country’s most popular medicine, with around three million prescriptions written and more than 50 million tablets used a year across New Zealand.
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