Paracetamol for pain management
PARACETAMOL FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT
The role of paracetamol as an analgesic is set out in NICE’s stepwise strategy for the management of mild to moderate pain in adults and children aged 16 years and over:2
-
STEP 1
Use paracetamol
-
STEP 2
Paracetamol should be substituted with ibuprofen or, if ibuprofen is unsuitable, a weak opioid (such as codeine)
-
STEP 3
Paracetamol should be added to ibuprofen or the weak opioid
-
STEP 4
Paracetamol should be continued and ibuprofen replaced with an alternative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
-
STEP 5
A weak opioid should be started in addition to paracetamol and/or an NSAID
PARACETAMOL RARELY CAUSES SIDE EFFECTS IF TAKEN AT THE RECOMMENDED DOSE.3
It is the first-choice painkiller:3
DURING PREGNANCY
Be sure to recommend the lowest effective dose, for the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible frequency4
WHILE BREASTFEEDING
HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PAIN
Ask appropriate questions during your pain conversations in the pharmacy to learn more about your customer’s pain. This will enable you to gather all the necessary information to make a suitable recommendation.
You need to know whether the medication is for an adult or a child
This will help you to recognise any red flags and whether the pain is accompanied by fever
This will help determine whether their pain is chronic or acute
Enquire about the types of products and how long they have been used for
You need to be sure that you do not recommend a product that will interact with other medication or that may not be suitable for them due to other health-related issues
PAIN MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY VARIOUS OTHER SYMPTOMS.
Listen carefully to your customer’s responses and if there is anything that sounds more serious, refer them to the pharmacist or their GP, e.g. if they have pain that is not sufficiently relieved by the short-term use of OTC analgesics, or pain accompanied by unexplained weight loss or new lumps.