Table 1.

 Changes in prescriptions and deaths from poisoning involving co-proxamol, other analgesics, and all drugs, in England and Wales, 1998-2007, associated with the CSM announcement

	Estimation of absolute effect during 2005 to 2007 of the CSM announcement*
	Mean quarterly estimated number without CSM announcement †	Mean quarterly estimated number with CSM announcement †	Mean quarterly change during 2005 to 2007 ‡ (95%CI) §
Prescriptions (thousands)
Co-proxamol	1465.1	605.7	−859 (−1065 to −653)
Co-codamol	2524.7	3024.6	500 (459 to 540)
Codeine	534.6	578.0	43 (31 to 55)
Co-dydramol	1018.2	1140.0	122 (99 to 145)
Dihydrocodeine	634.6	600.0	−35 (−68 to −2)
NSAIDs	5633.8	4581.0	−1053 (−1186 to −920)
Paracetamol	2947.0	3330.0	382 (268 to 497)
Tramadol	1130.1	1193.9	64 (−5 to 133)
Suicide, open
Co-proxamol	39	15	−24 (−37 to −12)
Other analgesics ¶	39	44	5 (−5 to 15)
All drugs except co-proxamol and other analgesics	204	191	−13 (−34 to 8)
All drugs	283	252	−31 (−66 to 3)
All causes	1152	1130	−22 (−89 to 45)
Suicide, open, accidental
Co-proxamol	48	19	−29 (−42 to −17)
Other analgesics	56	60	4 (−11 to 18)
All drugs except co-proxamol and other analgesics	348	385	37 (−8 to 82)
All drugs	452	466	14 (−46 to 75)

*Using interrupted time series segmented regression analysis¹⁸ where the intervention point is taken as the end of 2004 (the CSM announcement on the withdrawal of co-proxamol, January 2005).

†Estimated for the midpoint quarter of 2005 to 2007. See appendix for method, equation (2) or (3).

‡Absolute difference of estimated number with CSM announcement and estimated number without CSM announcement, taken at the midpoint of the post-intervention period, see appendix equation (4).

§95% confidence intervals (CI) taken from Stata results or calculated according to Zhang et al.²⁶

¶Co-codamol, codeine, co-dydramol, dihydrocodeine, NSAIDS, paracetamol, and tramadol.