UK legislation on analgesic pack sizes: impact on suicidal behaviour by Hawton, K, Townsend, E

Impact of withdrawal of the analgesic Co-proxamol on nonfatal self-poisoning in the UK. by Hawton, K, Bergen, H, Waters, K, Murphy, E, Cooper, J, Kapur, N

“…BACKGROUND: In early 2005 the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) announced gradual withdrawal of the analgesic co-proxamol because of its adverse benefit/safety ratio, especially its use for intentional and accidental fatal poisoning. …”

UK legislation on analgesic packs: before and after study of long term effect on poisonings. by Hawton, K, Simkin, S, Deeks, J, Cooper, J, Johnston, A, Waters, K, Arundel, M, Bernal, W, Gunson, B, Hudson, M, Suri, D, Simpson, K

“…<p><strong>Objective</strong> To evaluate the long term effect of legislation limiting the size of packs of analgesics sold over the counter.</p> <p><strong>Design</strong> Before and after study.…”

United Kingdom legislation on pack sizes of analgesics: background, rationale, and effects on suicide and deliberate self-harm. by Hawton, K

“…The changes have had significant positive initial benefits on the mortality and morbidity associated with self-poisoning with analgesics.…”

Pack size restriction of mild analgesics sold as over-the-counter drugs in pharmacies in Denmark: preliminary register findings by Morthorst, B, Erlangsen, A, Hawton, K, Dalhoff, K, Nordentoft, M

“…Mild analgesics are sold in all European countries, and some countries have observed increased contact with emergency departments due to overdose by these agents, especially paracetamol. …”

Use of analgesics in intentional drug overdose presentations to hospital before and after the withdrawal of distalgesic from the Irish market. by Corcoran, P, Reulbach, U, Keeley, H, Perry, I, Hawton, K, Arensman, E

“… BACKGROUND: Distalgesic, the prescription-only analgesic compound of paracetamol (325 mg) and dextropropoxyphene (32.5 mg) known as co-proxamol in the UK, was withdrawn from the Irish market as of January 2006. …”

UK legislation on analgesic packs: before and after study of long term effect on poisonings (vol 329, pg 1076, 2004) by Hawton, K

Relative toxicity of analgesics commonly used for intentional self-poisoning: a study of case fatality based on fatal and non-fatal overdoses by Hawton, K, Ferrey, A, Casey, D, Wells, C, Fuller, A, Bankhead, C, Clements, C, Ness, J, Gunnell, D, Kapur, N, Geulayov, G

“…<strong>Background</strong> Analgesics are used most frequently in fatal and non-fatal medicinal self-poisonings. …”

Erratum: UK legislation on analgesic packs: Before and after study of long term effect on poisonings (British Medical Journal (November 6) (1076-1079)) by Hawton, K

Co-proxamol and suicide: preventing the continuing toll of overdose deaths. by Simkin, S, Hawton, K, Sutton, L, Gunnell, D, Bennewith, O, Kapur, N

“…Preventing deaths from analgesic overdoses is highlighted in the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. …”

Effect of withdrawal of co-proxamol on prescribing and deaths from drug poisoning in England and Wales: time series analysis. by Hawton, K, Bergen, H, Simkin, S, Brock, A, Griffiths, C, Romeri, E, Smith, K, Kapur, N, Gunnell, D

“… OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines' announcement in January 2005 of withdrawal of co-proxamol on analgesic prescribing and poisoning mortality. DESIGN: Interrupted time series analysis for 1998-2007. …”

Effect of withdrawal of co-proxamol on prescribing and deaths from drug poisoning in England and Wales: time series analysis by Hawton, K, Bergen, H, Simkin, S, Brock, A, Griffiths, C, Romeri, E, Smith, K, Kapur, N, Gunnell, D

“…Objective: To assess the effect on the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines' announcement in January 2005 of withdrawal of co-proxamol on analgesic prescribing and poisoning mortality. Design: Interrupted time series analysis for 1998-2007. …”

Effect of withdrawal of co-proxamol on prescribing and deaths from drug poisoning in England and Wales: time series analysis. by Hawton, K, Bergen, H, Simkin, S, Brock, A, Griffiths, C, Romeri, E, Smith, K, Kapur, N, Gunnell, D

“…OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines' announcement in January 2005 of withdrawal of co-proxamol on analgesic prescribing and poisoning mortality. DESIGN: Interrupted time series analysis for 1998-2007. …”

Six-year follow-up of impact of co-proxamol withdrawal in England and Wales on prescribing and deaths: time-series study. by Hawton, K, Bergen, H, Simkin, S, Wells, C, Kapur, N, Gunnell, D

“…BACKGROUND: The analgesic co-proxamol (paracetamol/dextropropoxyphene combination) has been widely involved in fatal poisoning. …”

Psychiatric assessment and management of deliberate self-poisoning patients by Hawton, K

“…Common precipitants include relationship problems, often in the context of depression and alcohol abuse. Analgesics and psychotropic drugs are the substances most frequently involved in self-poisoning in the UK. …”

Deliberate self-harm in adolescents: a study of characteristics and trends in Oxford, 1990-2000. by Hawton, K, Hall, S, Simkin, S, Bale, L, Bond, A, Codd, S, Stewart, A

“…Paracetamol overdoses decreased following legislation on pack sizes of analgesics. Antidepressant overdoses increased during the study period, in keeping with the rise in prescriptions. …”

Methods used for parasuicide: results of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Parasuicide. by Michel, K, Ballinari, P, Bille-Brahe, U, Bjerke, T, Crepet, P, De Leo, D, Haring, C, Hawton, K, Kerkhof, A, Lönnqvist, J, Querejeta, I, Salander-Renberg, E, Schmidtke, A, Temesvary, B, Wasserman, D

“…The differences were most prominent in the age group 15-24, with outstanding rates for women in Oxford (653/100,000), which was mainly due to the frequent use of analgesics. Szeged had outstandingly high rates for pesticides and solvents. …”

Suicide in older people: mode of death, demographic factors, and medical contact before death. by Harwood, D, Hawton, K, Hope, T, Jacoby, R

“…Given the high proportion of drug overdoses in the sample, effective strategies to prevent suicide in older people might include improving the prescribing of analgesics and antidepressants. Although older people at risk of suicide often consult their GP shortly before death, GPs may have difficulty identifying those at risk because of the high proportion of physical complaints.…”

Self-harm in Oxford, England: epidemiological and clinical trends, 1996-2010. by Hawton, K, Haw, C, Casey, D, Bale, L, Brand, F, Rutherford, D

“…Overdoses of antidepressants (particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) increased, as did those of mood stabilisers, non-opiate analgesics excluding paracetamol (e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and non-ingestible poisons. …”

Self-harm in children 12 years and younger: characteristics and outcomes based on the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England by Geulayov, G, Casey, D, Bale, L, Brand, F, Townsend, E, Ness, J, Rehman, M, Waters, K, Clements, C, Farooq, B, Kapur, N, Hawton, K

“…The proportion of study children living in neighbourhoods ranked most deprived (43.4%) was twice the national average. 61.5% of children self-poisoned, 50.6% of them by ingesting analgesics. Of children who self-injured, 45.0% self-cut/stabbed, while 28.9% used hanging/asphyxiation. 32% of the children had a repeat hospital presentation for self-harm, 13.5% re-presented within a year.…”