Rise in paracetamol therapeutic errors in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic

Treatment guidelines for COVID-19 recommend basic analgesics/antipyretics such as paracetamol.1 Paracetamol therapeutic errors are associated with morbidity and mortality.2 The Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC), the statewide poisons centre for Victoria, Australia, receives calls from members of the public for advice regarding errors made with medicines. Paracetamol therapeutic errors are usually accidental overdoses (e.g. double-dose, maximum daily dose exceeded, incorrectly measured liquid paracetamol, or use of two paracetamol-containing medicines). The aim of this research was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of paracetamol therapeutic error cases in the community (outside of hospitals) that were reported to VPIC.