Panodil extended-release tablets

The new extended-release tablets was a new formulation of this well-known medicinal product Panodil. The new paracetamol tablet contains 665 mg, compared to 500 mg in ordinary tablets. A dosage of two 665 mg tablets three times daily of the new product has been found to be therapeutically equivalent to two 500 mg tablets four times daily. Due to the risk of overdose, the new product is prescription-only, like Panodil Retard and Panodil 1 g.

Panodil new extended-release tablets was marketed on Monday, 1 April.

The advantage of the new extended-release tablets is that the number of daily doses for chronic pain can be reduced from four to three daily. Compared to Panodil Retard, the new product involves a reduction in the number of tablets per dose from four to two, but patients must take it more often: three times daily instead of two.

The disadvantage is that one month’s therapy costs three times as much as ordinary paracetamol tablets or Panodil 1 g. On the other hand, the new Panodil costs a little less than Panodil Retard.

Extended-release tablets (also Panodil Retard) should not be crushed as ordinary tablets can be, since this causes them to lose their time-release capability. Caregivers should be made aware of this fact if the new tablets are prescribed.

The shelf life of extended-release tablets is substantially shorter than that of ordinary tablets (two years in plastic bottles and three years in blister packs), which is yet another reason why the new product should only be used to treat chronic pain.

All in all, Panodil 1 g seems to be the best choice for chronic pain treatment at this time, when both cost and compliance are taken into consideration. On the other hand, there is no generic product which can be substituted for it and thus no competition in the longer term.

Paracetamol products	Cost, largest pack (DKK)	Maximum dose for chronic pain	Cost (in DKK) of 1 month’s treatment at 1/4/02
Panodil 665 mg 100 tablets	117.70	2 tablets 3 times daily	211.86
Panodil Retard 500 mg 200 tablets	207.95	4 tablets twice daily	249.55
Panodil 1 g 100 tablets	62.65	1 tablet 4 times daily	75.20
Panodil 500 mg 300 tablets	116.25	2 tablets 4 times daily	93.00
Pinex 500 mg 300 tablets	94.65	2 tablets 4 times daily	75.70
Pamol 500 mg 300 tablets	94.65	2 tablets 4 times daily	75.70

Additional information is available from the summary of product characteristics published by the Danish Medicines Agency (Danish only).