Paris (AFP)

Aspirin, Doliprane or Advil, medicines sold without a prescription, will no longer be freely available on the shelves of pharmacies but must be stored behind the counter from January 15, to limit the risks associated with misuse, a ANSM drug agency announced on Tuesday.

"In order to promote the proper use of these commonly used drugs, the ANSM has decided that as of January 15, 2020, these drugs will no longer be available for free access in pharmacies, thus strengthening the advisory role of the pharmacist for patients who wish to have them without a prescription, "said ANSM, whose final decision comes after a notice to this effect issued in early October.

"This measure is a continuation of the actions carried out by the Agency to secure the use of these drugs, including the arrival in the coming months of a message on the boxes of drugs containing paracetamol in order to alert the risk for the liver in case of overdose ", argued the ANSM in the press release published on its site.

These drugs are the most used in self-medication as painkillers or anti-fever in adults and children, according to the ANSM.

Until now, they can be sold in direct access, that is to say by using yourself on the shelves of the pharmacy. It is however left to the discretion of each pharmacist, who can choose to place them behind their counter.

Misuse involves risks. Taken in too high doses, paracetamol can cause serious liver damage, which may require a transplant or even be fatal.

At the end of 2017, a young woman, Naomi Musenga, died after being mocked on the phone by an operator from the Samu of Strasbourg, which had caused a wave of emotion in France. According to the investigation, this death was "the consequence of intoxication with paracetamol absorbed by self-medication over several days".

For a healthy adult weighing more than 50 kg, the maximum dose of paracetamol is 3 grams per 24 hours, i.e. 1 gram per dose, with a space of at least 6 hours between each dose.

In addition, the maximum recommended duration of treatment is "3 days in case of fever, 5 days in case of pain, in the absence of a prescription", according to the ANSM.

In July, the gendarme of the drug had decided that the warning "overdose = danger" should now appear on the boxes of paracetamol.

© 2019 AFP