THE MEDICINEWISE HANDBOOK

Independent, not-for-profit and evidence based, NPS MedicineWise enables better decisions about medicines and medical tests. We are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

Be medicinewiseverb, adjective \ bē • mĕd’ĭ-sĭn-wīz \ the safe and wise use of medicines

Medicines are something we all take, but too often we take them for granted. We rarely stop to question what medicine we’re taking, why we’re taking it and what’s in it. In fact, we’re often more interested in what’s in our breakfast cereals.

Being medicinewise is about asking questions to get the right information.

Having the right information will help you to get the most out of your medicines

and to make better health decisions for you and those you care for.

1. The impact of PBS reform: report to parliament on the National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) Act 2007. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing, 2010. 2. Roughead EE, Semple SJ. Medication safety in acute care in Australia: where are we now? Part 1: a review of the extent and causes of medication problems 2002-2008. Aust New Zealand Health Policy 2009;6:18. 3. Windows into safety and quality in health care 2011. Sydney: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2011.

Safetynoun \ sāf’tē \ the state of being safe; freedom from injury or danger

Medicines have benefits, but they also come with potential risks. These risks can increase when people don’t know what medicine they’re taking, why they’re taking it, how to take it, and how it could affect them.

Always follow instructions from your doctor or pharmacist and read the labels and packaging of your medicines carefully.

Taking a medicine incorrectly could mean you end up with too little or too much of it

in your body — so you may not get the full benefit, or you could be at greater risk of

side effects.

Hospital

ESTIMATED COSTOF MEDICATIONRELATED HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS

$660M ESTIMATED COSTOF MEDICATIONRELATED HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS

$660M ESTIMATED COSTOF MEDICATIONRELATED HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS

$660M

Misadventurenoun \ mĭs’əd-vĕn’chər \ to arrive at an unintended location

Medicine mistakes can occur when you go into and come out of hospital, and when you see different health professionals.

Tell your health professionals about all of your prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medicines (including herbal, natural, vitamins and supplements). This will help to ensure that the best decisions are made about your health and medicines.

If you suspect a medicine-related side effect you can call the Adverse Medicine Events Line on 1300 134 237.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST (excluding NSW public holidays).

You can help to prevent mistakes by knowing about all the medicines you take.

Medicinenoun \ mĕd’ĭ-sĭn \ any substance used to treat disease or restore and preserve health

Medicines don’t just come on prescription — they also include over-the-counter and complementary medicines (herbal, natural, vitamins and supplements).

Medicines can be bought from a pharmacy, supermarket, health food store or the internet.

For questions about your medicines call the NPS Medicines Line. 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424).

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST (excluding NSW public holidays).

Medicines come in many forms, including tablets, liquids, lotions, drops, patches,

creams, suppositories and inhalers.

Active ingredientadjective, noun \ ăk’tĭv • ĭn-grē’dē-ənt \ the chemical in a medicine that makes it work

The active ingredient name is shown on the medicine’s packaging. If it is a prescription medicine, it is also shown on the label applied by the pharmacist.

Checking the active ingredient every time you get a medicine will help you to prevent double-dosing with another medicine that contains the same active ingredient.

Most medicines have two names: the active ingredient and the brand name.

Patentnoun \ păt’nt \ a right granted by a government to an inventor to use or sell an invention for a pe-

riod of time

When a pharmaceutical company develops a new active ingredient it is given a patent, during which no other company can manufacture and sell a medicine containing the same active ingredient.

Once a patent expires, other companies can develop their own version of the medicine — these are known as generic brands.

When your pharmacist offers you an alternative brand, it will always have the same

active ingredient as the one on your prescription or in the medicine you usually take.

WORKS THE SAME

• DIFFERENT BRAND NAME – SAME MANUFACTURING STANDARDS

• DIFFERENT PACKAGING – SAME QUALITY

• DIFFERENT MEDICINE SHAPES & SIZES – SAME EFFECT IN THE BODY

• APPROVED BY T.G.A.*

• ORIGINATOR BRAND – TRADEMARKED & PATENT PROTECTED

• ORIGINAL PRODUCT & CHEMICAL• SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN: – RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT – CLINICAL TRIALS – MARKETING

SAME ACTIVEINGREDIENT

OR

MEDICINEMEDICINE

REE IG CN REE IG CN REE IG CNB DENA DRB DENA DRB DENA DRB DENA DRB DENA DRB DENA DR

PATENTPATENTPATENTPATENTUNLOCKEDUNLOCKEDUNLOCKEDUNLOCKEDPROTECTEDPROTECTEDPROTECTEDPROTECTED

PATENTPATENTPATENTPATENT20–25YEARS

Brandsnoun \ brănds \ a trademark or name that identifies or differentiates a product or manufacturer

Many medicines with the same active ingredient (the chemical that makes the medicine work) are available under several different brands. The medicines work in the same way, but have different brand names and packaging and can also come in different shapes, colours and sizes.

All medicines sold in Australia must meet the same strict standards of quality, safety

and effectiveness.

Medicines listnoun \ mĕd’ĭ-sĭns • lĭst \ a record of all prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medi-

cines taken by an individual

A medicines list helps you stay on top of the information you need to manage your medicines. You’ll know what you need to take, when to take it, how much to take and why.

Health professionals need to know about all the medicines you take so they can help you

to make the best decisions about your health.

MedicineList+ appnoun \ mĕd'ĭ-sĭn–lĭst+ ăp \ a medicinewise application for a mobile device

Having up-to-date information about your medicines at all times will help to prevent medicine mistakes.

Download the free MedicineList+ app to make sure you always have your medicines and health information at your fingertips.

You can barcode scan your medicines or select from a pick list, edit and update your

profile, set alarms to remind you when to take your medicines, and email or print your

medicines list.

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

Dosagenoun \ dō’sĭj \ the amount and frequency of medicine (given or taken)

Small mistakes…little bodies…big problems.

Children’s bodies are little, so even small dosing errors can cause them harm. Giving the right dose or amount of a medicine based on a child’s weight and age is important so that they receive the safest and most effective dose.

Weigh yourself on a set of scales while holding your child and then weigh yourself without

your child — the difference in the two weights is your child’s weight.

Resistancenoun \ rĭ-zĭs’təns \ the act of resisting, withstanding or opposing

The development of antibiotics is one of the most important advances of medicine.

But now, bacterial infections that were once easily cured with antibiotics are becoming harder to treat. This is due to antibiotic resistance, largely caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

The World Health Organization has warned that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today.

If we don’t act now, by the time the children in this picture have become adults,

we may have run out of effective antibiotics.

Misusenoun \ mis’yoohs \ wrong or improper use; misapplication

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections or diseases caused by bacteria. They won’t help treat a cold or flu, because these are caused by viruses.

Don’t expect antibiotics from your doctor for your cold or flu. Some people may need to be prescribed an antibiotic, but only because they are at risk of developing complications from having a cold or flu, such as pneumonia.

If you have a cold or flu — the best thing you can do is to rest, treat your symptoms

and let your body fight the infection.

Join the fightverb \ join thə fīt \ to do battle; an act of commitment, to do one’s bit

Antibiotic resistance is everyone’s problem, but there are simple things we can do to make a real difference.

We’re calling on all Australians to join the fight against antibiotic resistance by taking our pledge on Facebook. Thousands of people have — you can too!

Join the fight against antibiotic resistance. /npsmedicinewise

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Independent, not-for-profit and evidence based, NPS MedicineWise enables better decisions about

medicines and medical tests. We are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

National Prescribing Service Limited. ABN 61 082 034 393.

© 2014 National Prescribing Service Limited. The information provided is not medical advice. Do not use it to treat or diagnose your own or another person’s medical condition

and never ignore medical advice or delay seeking it because of something herein. Medicines information changes, and may not be accurate when you access it. To the fullest

extent permitted by law, National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS MedicineWise) disclaims all liability (including without limitation for negligence) for any loss, damage, or injury

resulting from reliance on, or use of this information. Any references to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS MedicineWise. Published: February 2014.

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