![\"tylenol.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/spoonful\/files\/tylenol.jpg\")
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In the past, we\u2019ve covered the growing anxieties about the painkiller acetaminophen<\/a>, which can cause liver problems and is often taken to excess. We\u2019ve also reported on scientists\u2019 worries that consumers are relatively unaware of the dangers of drug combinations<\/a>. Today, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA<\/span>) made an announcement that might lead people who harbor both concerns to let out a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n The agency has asked drug makers to limit the amount<\/a> of acetaminophen to no more than 325 milligrams per pill when included in drug combinations. \u201cOverdose 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,\u201d Sandra Kweder of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER<\/span>) said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n But even if this recent regulatory move addresses the problem of unintended acetaminophen overdose, the FDA<\/span> still faces hurdles in the area of painkillers. The debate over opioid dosing<\/a>, for one, certainly isn\u2019t going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n Image from woodleywonderworks<\/A> via Flickr Creative Commons<\/EM><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the past, we\u2019ve covered the growing anxieties about the painkiller acetaminophen, which can cause liver problems and is often taken to excess. We\u2019ve also reported on scientists\u2019 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. \u201cOverdose from prescription combination products containing acetaminophen account for … Read more<\/a> Continue reading