Your  doctor and pharmacist are the best sources of information about any health and  medicine issues you may have. However, there may be times when you can’t  contact your GP or pharmacist, and you have concerns that need to be dealt with  promptly. You may be unsure whether a problem needs professional help. At these  times, calling a telephone helpline can give you the information or reassurance  you need.

With the  exception of the Poisons Information Line,  these helplines should not be used in emergencies. In a medical  emergency, call triple zero (000) instead.

Medicines Line

Medicines Line provides information about all types of medicines, and can answer  questions about any aspect of your medicines, including:

• how a medicine works 
• how to take a medicine 
• side effects and interactions
• how to obtain the consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflet for a medicine.

This  helpline is run by NPS in collaboration with healthdirect Australia. Your call will be answered by a nurse initially. If  your medicines question needs more specialised knowledge, you will be put through to an NPS pharmacist.

Adverse Medicine Events Line

If you think that your medicine has caused an undesirable side effect, you can call the  Adverse Medicine Events Line to report and discuss your experience with a pharmacist.

Please note, the service does not provide advice about medicine overdose or poisoning. Such  calls should be directed to the Poisons Information Line (see later).

After hours GP helpline

If  you can’t contact your usual GP after hours, you can call the new after hours GP helpline for advice. Your  call will be answered by a registered nurse who will transfer your call to a GP  if necessary. The GP will talk to you, and provide medical advice.

If  the nurse or GP feels that you need to see a health professional immediately,  you will be referred to the most appropriate after-hours service in your area.  If your call is deemed to be an emergency, you will be transferred immediately  to 000, and the nurse or GP will stay on the line to give you advice and reassurance.

healthdirect Australia

healthdirect Australia provides health  information and advice to people living in all states except Queensland and  Victoria. The registered nurses who staff the line can give you information about any health issue that may be worrying you, and advise you what to do  next.

Similar services are available in Queensland and Victoria. The Queensland service is 13  HEALTH, and the Victorian service is Nurse-On-Call.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline

This  helpline provides information and support for parents and families in relation  to pregnancy and a baby’s first 12 months of life. Ring the service if you want  information, are worried about something, or don’t know what to do. The staff  can help you on the spot, or direct you to specialised services, such as a  registered nurse at healthdirect  Australia, or support groups like the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Poisons  Information Line

This  service provides advice on what to do in the event of an overdose or suspected  poisoning with a medicine, household chemical, pesticide, agricultural  chemical, poisonous plant, or other poison.

Interpreters

If  an interpreter is needed to assist with using any of these helplines, first  ring the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 13 14 50. Tell  the operator the language spoken and the name and telephone number of the  helpline required.

Health and medicine help lines

* Calls from mobiles may cost more.