Limits on the sale of paracetamol will be introduced by the end of the year, the Department of Health and Children has confirmed.
They are likely to restrict the number of tablets which can be sold at a time, with higher limits for chemists than for other outlets, and a prescription needed for more than 50 tablets.
Hospitals dealt with 1,452 cases of paracetamol poisoning in the Republic last year, among them 43 cases of temporary or permanent liver damage.
Paracetamol figures prominently in attempted suicide and groups such as the Irish Association of Suicidology (IAS) have been pressing for restrictions.
Voluntary limits, in the form of a recommendation from the Irish Medicines Board, were introduced in 1997. That was the worst year for paracetamol poisoning, with 1,628 cases. Since then the numbers have remained steady at over 1,400 a year.
Asked why the recommendation appeared to have little effect, Dr John Connolly of the IAS said "there would be some reluctance in the industry to implement these guidelines".
Dr Connolly said the IAS took the view "that paracetamol does damage and should be restricted to pharmacy outlets. The number of tablets should be restricted to about 16 per pack".
While people could circumvent the regulations and build up a supply by going from chemist to chemist, making paracetamol harder to get "would deal with situations where people impulsively take an overdose".
Ms Nancy O'Flynn of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union said its members were expected to abide by the recommendations. Shops and supermarkets should not sell more than 24 tablets at a time, she said. Pharmacists should sell more only after talking to the customer and should require a prescription for more than 50.
In the UK, legally binding restrictions were introduced in 1998 - 16 tablets from shops and 32 from chemists, and a prescription for more than 100 tablets. Studies there show a sharp drop in paracetamol overdoses after the introduction of restrictions.
pomorain@irish-times.ie