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Your doctor or pharmacist is obviously your first port of call if you think you may have experienced a side effect from a medicine. They can tell you if it is a recognised side effect of that medicine, give you advice about what to do, and suggest other treatments if necessary.
But, what if the side effect is not a recognised side effect and you want to make sure the right people find out about it?
You have two choices: you can ask your doctor to report the side effect for you, or you can report it yourself to the Adverse Medicine Events Line, also known as the AME Line.
The pharmacist can also give you up-to-date information about the medicine suspected of causing the problem.
To report suspected side effects, call the AME Line on 1300 134 237 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (mobile calls cost more). The service is open Monday to Friday 9 am–5 pm Eastern Standard Time.
You can report a suspected side effect of any medicine, be it a prescription medicine, over-the-counter medicine, or complementary medicine (vitamins, minerals, herbal and natural medicines).
Ideally, it is best to ring the AME Line when you are experiencing the side effect or immediately afterwards, so the details are fresh in your mind. You can also call the AME Line to report side effects that happened some time ago.
The AME Line pharmacist will ask you questions about the side effect, the medicine you suspect of causing the side effect, the other medicines you are taking, your medical history, and any recent changes to your medicines. These questions will help them to determine whether the side effect could be related to your medicine.
If the side effect could be related to your medicine, the pharmacist will record all the relevant details and pass them on to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which is the Australian Government authority responsible for medicine safety.
The TGA will examine your report to determine if anything needs to be done to prevent other people experiencing the same side effect, or to warn doctors and consumers.
Your personal details will remain confidential and will not accompany the report.
But, what if the side effect is not a recognised side effect and you want to make sure the right people find out about it?
You have two choices: you can ask your doctor to report the side effect for you, or you can report it yourself to the Adverse Medicine Events Line, also known as the AME Line.
Adverse Medicine Events Line
The AME Line enables you to report suspected side effects of your medicines to a specially trained pharmacist. The pharmacist will collate the information and pass it on to the right authorities.The pharmacist can also give you up-to-date information about the medicine suspected of causing the problem.
To report suspected side effects, call the AME Line on 1300 134 237 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (mobile calls cost more). The service is open Monday to Friday 9 am–5 pm Eastern Standard Time.
You can report a suspected side effect of any medicine, be it a prescription medicine, over-the-counter medicine, or complementary medicine (vitamins, minerals, herbal and natural medicines).
Ideally, it is best to ring the AME Line when you are experiencing the side effect or immediately afterwards, so the details are fresh in your mind. You can also call the AME Line to report side effects that happened some time ago.
The AME Line pharmacist will ask you questions about the side effect, the medicine you suspect of causing the side effect, the other medicines you are taking, your medical history, and any recent changes to your medicines. These questions will help them to determine whether the side effect could be related to your medicine.
If the side effect could be related to your medicine, the pharmacist will record all the relevant details and pass them on to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which is the Australian Government authority responsible for medicine safety.
The TGA will examine your report to determine if anything needs to be done to prevent other people experiencing the same side effect, or to warn doctors and consumers.
Your personal details will remain confidential and will not accompany the report.
More information
A free AME Line brochure with a fridge magnet is available from the National Prescribing Service. To order this brochure click here or call 02 8217 8700.The information in MedicinesTalk is not medical advice, so seek professional help before making any decisions based on this information.
This article was accurate and up-to-date when it was published. The evidence or context for this article might have changed since then.
MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.
