R U OK with your medicines? R U OK with your medicines?

On 29 November, R U OK? Day will bring Australians together in a bid to reduce the risk factors contributing to suicide. It promotes awareness and support by raising the profile of organisations that provide these services. The campaign encourages people to reach out to friends and loved ones and simply ask, 'R U OK?'.

As a provider of independent, quality information about medicines, NPS is a unique supporter of R U OK? Day. Medicines and non-medicine treatments play a big part in helping people manage depression and other chronic diseases. Medicines can be provided by prescription but also include over-the-counter remedies and traditional medicines and should be considered as part of a health management plan.

1. Get to know your medicines
   
2. Managing your medicines
3. Lifestyle and medicine choices for better health
4. Managing the cost of your medicines
5. Medicine and non-medicine treatments for mental health problems

Get to know your medicines

To reduce the risk of mixing up your medicines and suffering an adverse event, it’s important to get to know your medicines.

• the brand name of the medicine and the active ingredient
• the strength
• what the medicine is for
• how frequently you need to take it
• any special instructions from the doctor
• when you need to stop or review it.

Consumer medicine information leaflets — CMIs provide information about a medicine. They are written by pharmaceutical manufacturers and are available for most prescription medicines and some non-prescription medicines. A CMI gives you important facts to know before, during and after taking your medicine. CMIs are available online or ask your pharmacist to print one for you the next time you have a prescription filled.

The NPS Medicine Name Finder — Another tool that can be used to help you understand more about the medicines you’re taking. When you enter the active ingredient of a PBS listed prescription medicine it identifies lists any brand names it is known as, and vice versa.

See more tips on ways to manage your medicines. 

Managing your medicines

There are a number of products designed to help you manage your medicines, or someone else’s medicines if you are a carer.

Medicines Lists — Medicines Lists record all the medicines you are taking and the vital information about each one. They can be updated each time you start a new medicine or if your medicine regimen changes. They are small enough to carry in your purse or wallet and can save precious time if a health professional needs to know quickly what medicines you are taking. Medicines Lists can be downloaded or ordered from the NPS website.

Dose administration aids — These are containers that divide your tablets into compartments based on your dose schedule. You can buy dose administration aids at a pharmacy and fill them yourself, or your pharmacist may be able to do it for you.

Home Medicines Reviews — If you take more than five medicines you may be eligible for a Home Medicines Review. These involve a pharmacist coming to your home and going through your medicines with you to ensure the medicines you are taking are the right ones for you. This is organised through your GP.

Lifestyle and medicine choices for better health

Making changes to your lifestyle and the way you use your medicines can improve your health and may enable your doctor to prescribe you lower doses and/or fewer medicines.

Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and only drinking alcohol in moderation may improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Improving your lifestyle can also help your medicines work more effectively.

Managing the cost of your medicines

Medicines can be expensive but there are ways of managing the costs.

Have your medicines reviewed — If you've been taking several medicines for some time, a review of your medicines may show that you no longer need all of them. It may also show that you're taking more than you need of one or more of them. Stopping any unneeded medicines will save you money and reduce your chances of medication problems.

PBS Safety Net — The PBS Safety Net is a scheme that provides free or cheaper medicines for individuals and families who have spent more than the threshold (nominated amount) on PBS medicines in a calendar year.

Generic medicines — When a medicine is first released, it is only available in a brand version. Once the patent for the medicine has expired, other companies can make copies of it. These copies are known as generic medicines. Generic versions of a medicine contain the same active ingredient, work in the same way, and must meet the same quality standards as the original brand medicine. Companies sometimes charge higher prices for brand medicines, so a generic version may save you money.

Take your medicine properly — Suddenly stopping a prescribed medicine can have dangerous consequences. The medicine regimen that has been prescribed for you has been designed to ensure you receive the maximum health benefit. Changing that regimen without consulting your doctor may compromise your health resulting in further costs — to your wallet and your health.

Talk to your doctor and pharmacist — If you're having difficulties with the cost of your medicines, talk to your doctor or  pharmacist. They may not be aware of your financial situation, and they may be able to suggest other ways you can save money on your medicines.

Medicine and non-medicine treatments for mental health problems

Many treatments are used for depression, but most of them fall into two main groups: antidepressant medications and psychological treatments. In addition, there are other strategies that people can use to help manage their condition.

Antidepressant medications — People with moderate and severe depression often have lower levels of some of the chemicals found in the brain. These chemicals include serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine. Prescription antidepressant medicines reduce the symptoms of depression by restoring the imbalance of these chemicals.

Psychological treatments — Some forms of counselling (known as psychological treatments or talking therapies) help people learn to think more positively, to have better relationships with others, and to cope better with the stresses in their lives. Changing people’s thinking and behaviour helps them to recover more quickly and helps to prevent their depression recurring. While some GPs have training in psychological treatments, many do not. Therefore, psychological treatments often require a referral to a health professional who specialises in mental health conditions.

Non-medicine treatments — Learning more about depression and how to manage it, undertaking regular exercise, and using relaxation techniques to manage stress are examples of other strategies that are known to be beneficial to people with depression.

Eating a healthy diet, maintaining normal routines, doing enjoyable activities, and keeping in contact with work, family and friends also help people to get back on the road to recovery.

For further information about R U OK? Day visit www.ruokday.com.au

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