Redefining “maximum strength” for acetaminophen

I love this old Jerry Seinfeld joke.

I’m paraphrasing… When people take painkillers they want maximum strength. They want the maximum human dosage allowed. They say, “Figure out how much will kill me, and then back it off a little.”

An FDA advisory committee has recommended that acetaminophen makers back it off a little. And then some.

The committee has suggested lowering the current maximum dosage from 1,000 mg to 650 mg. That means that individual pills would contain 325 mg instead of 500 mg.

So if the dosage is changed, what will people do? They’ll take three pills. Maybe four. Hey, this is the 21st Century – we have 21st Century maximum headaches! We’re not going to stand for some watered down “maximum” strength that’s not even close to maximum.

Of course, the real problem isn’t the dosage on the label. It’s the fact that acetaminophen is contained in so many prescription and nonprescription drugs. And you have to be on your toes to spot the hidden medication.

For instance, the chemical name of acetaminophen is N-acetyl-p-aminophenol. Most people aren’t likely to see that printed on drug packaging and think it’s acetaminophen. And sometimes the chemical name is abbreviated as APAP. Again, that’s not going to be a red flag for most people.

Here’s my recommendation for the FDA: Ask all drug makers to state, in large red letters, right on the front of the packaging, that the drug contains acetaminophen. No chemical names. No abbreviations. Then include a clear, honest warning. Sure you can recommend a lower dosage. But most important: Just put the real information out there!

Source:
“Is Two Too Many? FDA is Reconsidering the Proper Dosage Levels for Over-the-Counter Painkillers” Diane Suchetka, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/15/09, cleveland.com