MUST - A National Education Campaign for Older Adults and Caregivers
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Acetaminophen Safe Use

About NCPIE

Safe Medicine Use with Every Dose

For three decades, NCPIE has promoted and advanced safe medicine use by older adults and their caregivers. Our diverse non-profit coalition of close to 100 members works to improve communication about how to use medicine safely and effectively.

Acetaminophen is the most common active ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines, including pain relievers, fever reducers, and sleep aids as well as cough, cold, and allergy medicines. Did you know that more than 600 medicines contain acetaminophen?

Acetaminophen is safe and effective when used according to label directions but there is a limit to how much acetaminophen you can take in one day. The problem is that it is possible to take too much without knowing because it is in so many different medicines. Taking more acetaminophen than directed is considered an overdose and can lead to liver damage. Prescription medicines containing acetaminophen include Percocet, Vicodin and Hydrocodone Bitartrate. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines containing acetaminophen include Tylenol—perhaps the most recognized OTC brand, but also Actifed, Formula 44, and Midol, to name just a few other OTCs that contain acetaminophen. View the detailed list of prescription and OTC medicines containing acetaminophen here.

That’s why the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) has developed the Acetaminophen Safe Use program.

Choose a topic to learn how to use acetaminophen safely:

Know the Facts Be Medicine Smart Older Adults and Medicine Use
Caregiver Corner Resources