For consumers
(1300 633 424)
Mon-Fri | 9am-5pm AEST
Your call will be answered by healthdirect Australia
For health professionals
Find out the active ingredient and other brand names of your medicines with the NPS Medicine Name Finder
For a medicinewise Australia
Independent. Not-for-profit. Evidence based.
Site Tools
Quick Links
Campaign to bridge cultural gapsCampaign to bridge cultural gaps
Australia has cultural communities from every corner of the world. Each of these communities has different beliefs about health, illness and medicines. These beliefs affect the way people in the community think about, find out about and use medicines.
Obtaining information
Many people find it difficult to obtain medicines information. People who don’t speak fluent English may experience additional difficulties and may have to depend on family and friends for advice. However, this advice may be harmful, especially if they do not have a good understanding of medical conditions and medicines.
If their doctor is not familiar with their culture, they may feel uneasy about telling their doctor that they are taking any traditional medicines. This may result in interactions between their traditional and prescribed medicines.
One way that people from different cultural backgrounds can get information that is tailored to their needs is through a Home Medicines Review. This usually takes place in the person’s home and in a language they understand.
Campaign
Later this year, the National Prescribing Service (NPS) and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) are running a campaign to help people from different cultural backgrounds learn about medicines and how to use them safely.
The campaign will encourage people
- to ask questions of their doctor and pharmacist
- to keep a list of all their medicines
- to use their medicines as directed
- to store their medicines safely.
For more information about the campaign, please contact us.
Carolina’s storyMedicinesTalk spoke to Dr Jay Ramanathan, a Sydney South West GP Network staff member who promotes Home Medicines Reviews. Dr Ramanathan told the story of Carolina, originally from Chile, who took many medicines and was having problems with dizziness and fainting. Her problems eventually resulted in her being admitted to the Emergency Department of the local hospital. The hospital referred Carolina for a Home Medicines Review with a Spanish-speaking pharmacist. During the review, the pharmacist discovered that she was using two brands of the same blood pressure medicine: one that she had been given in Chile and one she had been prescribed by her doctor in Sydney. This meant that she was taking double the recommended dose — the main reason why she was suffering from dizziness and fainting. |
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.
Date published: 2008-07-01 00:00:00
Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.
References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.
