Acetaminophen capped in combinations

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In the past, we’ve covered the growing anxieties about the painkiller acetaminophen, which can cause liver problems and is often taken to excess. We’ve also reported on scientists’ worries that consumers are relatively unaware of the dangers of drug combinations. Today, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made an announcement that might lead people who harbor both concerns to let out a sigh of relief.

The agency has asked drug makers to limit the amount of acetaminophen to no more than 325 milligrams per pill when included in drug combinations. “Overdose from prescription combination products containing acetaminophen account for nearly half of all cases of acetaminophen-related liver failure in the United States; many of which result in liver transplant or death,” Sandra Kweder of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) said in a statement.

But even if this recent regulatory move addresses the problem of unintended acetaminophen overdose, the FDA still faces hurdles in the area of painkillers. The debate over opioid dosing, for one, certainly isn’t going away anytime soon.

Image from woodleywonderworks via Flickr Creative Commons

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