Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate

The stated purpose of the petition was to protect children and adolescents by limiting minors’ ability to purchase painkillers and antipyretics, particularly from non-pharmacy outlets. The author proposed measures such as mandatory age verification when purchasing such medicines, limiting the number of packs that could be purchased at one time and introducing further restrictions on the sale of selected products outside pharmacies. The justification referred to the easy and uncontrolled availability of painkillers in places such as grocery shops, health and beauty retailers and petrol stations. It also emphasised that, in the case of children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis, easy access to such products may increase the risk of impulsive self-harm and suicide attempts. At the same time, it was noted that the proposed restrictions would be preventive and would not restrict access to treatment, as the medicines could still be purchased by adult carers.

During the Committee meeting, the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector presented data on OTC medicine sales, hospital admissions related to medicine poisoning, and the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate’s educational and preventive activities addressing the misuse of medicinal products.

As Łukasz Pietrzak emphasised, self-medication is an important part of the healthcare system, but it must be undertaken responsibly. During the meeting, Łukasz Pietrzak repeatedly emphasised the importance of health education and building patients’ health literacy. He pointed out that the problem of medicine poisoning is not solely due to the widespread availability of medicines, but primarily to mistakes made when using them.

– According to global data, approximately 68% of accidental medicine poisonings involve children. This is primarily due to the availability of these products in the home and to medicines not being properly secured – said the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector.

Łukasz Pietrzak also presented other arguments against completely removing non-prescription painkillers from sale outside pharmacies. He pointed out that such a measure could make access to treatment more difficult and increase pressure on the healthcare system, as patients with minor ailments would make greater use of primary healthcare.

– It is also worth looking at the data on the sale of medicines outside pharmacies. Sales at grocery shops, health and beauty retailers and petrol stations have been falling steadily – over the past four years, sales of paracetamol have fallen by 28% – said Łukasz Pietrzak.

The Head of the State Pharmaceutical Inspection also noted that approximately 40% of packs of ibuprofen and approximately 30% of packs of paracetamol are sold outside pharmacies. He also recalled that the sizes of packs available outside pharmacies are regulated by law and limited to the smallest available packs.

– Outside pharmacies, only the smallest available packs can be purchased. Pharmacies, meanwhile, sell packs containing as many as 100 paracetamol tablets, which amounts to twice the lethal dose for an adult – emphasised the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector.

During the meeting, attention was also drawn to the scale of use of over-the-counter medicines in Poland.

– Poles spend twice as much on over-the-counter medicines as Germans and six times as much as people in Scandinavian countries. Poland has ranked among the European leaders in this respect for years – noted Łukasz Pietrzak.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector also stated that the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate had prepared proposals for changes concerning the advertising of medicines and stronger supervision of non-pharmacy sales, which had been submitted to the Ministry of Health.

The presentation also addressed the misuse of certain OTC medicines containing substances with psychoactive potential. As the CPI pointed out, despite the age restrictions in force, numerous test purchases by journalists show that the rules on the sale of such products to minors are not always observed. Another cause for concern is so-called “pharmacy tourism”, whereby quantity limits are circumvented by making purchases at multiple outlets.

– For medicines referred to in the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, such as codeine, dextromethorphan or pseudoephedrine, consideration should be given to introducing a system that would make it possible to monitor how frequently these products are purchased, based on the PESEL number – proposed Łukasz Pietrzak.

A significant part of the presentation was also devoted to educational activities conducted by the CPI, including the “Medicines are not sweets” campaign, carried out jointly with the European Medicines Agency. The Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector stated that the Inspectorate was ready to provide schools, free of charge, with educational materials and a guide for teachers, which could be used during the planned mandatory health education classes.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Urszula Augustyn, announced that a formal request (dezyderat) concerning the matter would be submitted to the Minister of Health.