A few years ago they restricted the sale of products with Paracetamol to one packet, in case people would use it for suicide, and overdose also causes liver failure.
Codeine is now suspected for addiction, so product with Paracetamol and Codeine have a problem, e.g. Syndol and Solpadeine have 450mg Paracetamol10mg Codeine per capsule, and can be obtained at the discretion of the pharmacist.
Solpadol which is stronger and contains 500mg Paracetamol and 30mg Codeine must be obtained with a prescription. Nurofen contains Ibuprofen which has not been restricted, but is harder on the stomach.
This is an Irish thing because I recently obtained the equivalent of Solpadol in another EU country. More than one packet also. I have obtained Nurofen locally recently no problem.
I am not a pharmacist I am speaking from my own experience, I use Syndon or Solpadol for Migraine occasionally, I am not addicted. I have also been refused recently for Syndol in Boots.
Boots seem to be more concerned at selling the morning after pill than treating genuine medical conditions, what a contradiction.