Paracetamol overdoses are responsible for more than half of all acute liver failure cases in Australia, ICU doctors say, backing calls for a public health response.

The first multicentre ­Australasian study on the topic has found that 52% of admissions to liver transplant centres are attributed to paracetamol overdoses, whereas the rate in the only New Zealand centre is just 10%.

The finding follows research published last month in the Medical Journal of Australia showing that the rate of toxic liver disease ­attributable to paracetamol misuse is rising by almost 8% year-on-year in Australia.

Unlike many European countries, supermarkets in Australia can sell 20-packs of 500mg tablets (10g total) of paracetamol, and there is no way to prevent customers buying multiple packs.