Safe use of acetaminophen

A safety update on acetaminophen1 published in the Oct. 29, 2002, issue of CMAJ mentioned that “[t]he number of cases of hepatotoxicity that occur in Canada each year is not known, and Health Canada is not currently reviewing the packaging and warning labels for the drug in this country.”

Health Canada issued a public advisory about acetaminophen2 on Feb. 13, 2003. This advisory emphasizes that products with different names may contain the same active ingredients and that it is important to read the labels of all medications carefully to avoid unintentional overdose. Health Canada has also published a more general article on the safe use of medicines in the “It's Your Health” series.3 Both articles are available online, for the benefit of physicians and their patients.

Kimby N. Barton Marketed Pharmaceuticals Division Health Canada Ottawa, Ont.