Longridge shop updates policy after teenager girl, 13, overdoses on paracetamol
A shop in Longridge has updated its policy after a 13-year-old girl overdosed on paracetamol purchased from the store.
The teenager bought one packet of paracetamol from the shop based at the Texaco petrol station on Kestor Lane at around 2pm last Thursday.
While there are no legal age restrictions for buying paracetamol, most retail outlets have their own policies that restrict the sale of medicines to children.
The girl then proceeded to walk to a bus stop before taking approximately eight tablets.
She then caught the bus home before telling her mum that she had taken an overdose.
Her mum - who wished to remain anonymous - immediately dialled 999 and was advised to take her daughter to A&E.
Doctors took blood tests as well as electrocardiogram (ECG) to make sure her heart was working properly before keeping her in overnight.
The girl then met with the child mental health team the following morning, and she will also have further meetings in the future.
Speaking to the Lancashire Post, her mum said: “To me, it should be harder for kids to be able to get hold of things like this.
“Heaven forbid we wouldn’t have been at home. We could be planning a funeral right now.
“I just want to make parents aware because I was lucky, but my daughter still spent a night in hospital.
“It could’ve happened to someone else and they could've taken both of the packets.”
Following the incident, the store - operated by Bonds of Longridge - updated its policy regarding the sale of paracetamol.
A spokesman for Bonds of Longridge said: “Since this incident, we’ve put a policy in place so that it doesn’t happen again and we’re very sorry this has happened.
“We did a lot of research into this prior and we’ve done some after, and there is no prohibition on age grounds in regards to the retail sale of paracetamol-containing products.
“Some supermarkets do have their own policies in place, which we are now also going to adhere to going forward.”
According to The Independent Pharmacy, there are no legal age restrictions for buying medicines.
However, most stores have policies that restrict the sale of medicines to children to protect their safety.
Most UK shops and pharmacies will let you purchase paracetamol over the counter if you are aged 16 or older, although you may have to produce a photo ID to confirm your age.