Co-proxamol overdose is an important means of suicide

In England and Wales deaths due to co-proxamol overdose represented 18% of all drug poisoning deaths and contributed 5% of all suicides. Hawton and colleagues (p 1006) found this in their study of 4162 drug related suicides in 1997-9 in England and Wales. The risk of death associated with an overdose with co-proxamol seems to be far higher than for tricyclic antidepressants or paracetamol. Restricting availability of co-proxamol could help to reduce the number of suicides due to drug overdose. Strategies to achieve this could include educating clinicians to the dangers to patients and others in the household, restricting amounts prescribed in individual cases, instructing patients to dispose of unwanted supplies, and using alternative strategies to manage pain.

(Credit: MEDISCAN.CO.UK)

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Co-proxamol and suicide: a study of national mortality statistics and local non-fatal self poisonings

Keith Hawton, Sue Simkin, and Jonathan Deeks
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