Acetaminophen and Medicare

Paracetamol or acetaminophen is a widely used over-the-counter analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (fever reducer). However, its effectiveness alone as an antipyretic has been questioned.[1] It is commonly used for the relief of headaches, and other minor aches and pains, and is a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu remedies. In combination with opioid analgesics, paracetamol could be used also in the management of more severe pain (such as in advanced cancer).[2]

While generally safe for human use at recommended doses (1,000 mg per single dose and up to 4,000 mg per day for adults, up to 2,000 mg per day if drinking alcohol[3]), acute overdoses of paracetamol can cause potentially fatal liver damage and, in rare individuals, a normal dose can do the same; the risk is heightened by alcohol consumption. Paracetamol toxicity is the foremost cause of acute liver failure in the Western world, and accounts for most drug overdoses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.[4][5][6][7]

Paracetamol is derived from coal tar, and is part of the class of drugs known as “aniline analgesics”; it is the only such drug still in use today.[8] It is the active metabolite of phenacetin, once popular as an analgesic and antipyretic in its own right, but unlike phenacetin and its combinations, paracetamol is not considered to be carcinogenic at therapeutic doses.[9] The words acetaminophen (used in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Iran[10], Colombia and other Latin American countries) and paracetamol (used elsewhere) both come from chemical names for the compound: para-acetylaminophenol and para-acetylaminophenol. In some contexts, it is simply abbreviated as APAP, for N-acetyl-para-aminophenol.

There is confusion in terminology of paracetamol. It could be considered a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID), but paracetamol has very little anti-inflammatory effect in many tissues. However aspirin, paracetamol and other NSAIDs all act by the same mechanism (inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis) and all show varying levels of analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and antiplatelet actions.[11]

Reference: Wikipedia

Keep in mind that if you take Acetaminophen, that medicines are not covered by your Medicare Supplement, but by your Part D, Prescription Drug coverage.

If you have limited income, you may qualify for “extra help” with the cost of your prescription medications. You can get more information and apply Here. * The information on this page is for reference only. Always seek the advice of your physician before taking any prescription medication.