In the August 2003 issue of MedicinesTalk, we wrote about Australia’s long-standing system for reporting suspected adverse reactions to  medicines. The system dates back to the 1960s when consumers were not seen as being reliable reporters of adverse reactions. As a result, the system was — and still is — primarily intended for health professionals reporting on behalf of their patients.

However, after nearly two decades of lobbying, consumers now have their own system for reporting medicine-related problems: the Adverse Medicine Events Line (AME Line).

The telephone helpline, funded by the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care, was launched on 19 October 2003.

The AME Line allows consumers to report their adverse drug reactions, and medication errors and near misses. The helpline is staffed by pharmacists from the Mater Misericordiae Health Service, Brisbane who have additional training in providing information about medicines. When you ring the helpline, one of the pharmacists will record your report, answer your questions, and give you information if appropriate.

Adverse medicine events

Adverse drug reactions
You should tell your doctor about any adverse drug reactions you experience, so they are aware of the problem, and you can discuss and deal with the problem together. However, you can also report your reactions to the AME Line. An adverse drug reaction is any unpleasant or unintended effect of a medicine that occurs when taking it at the normal dose.

Reports of adverse drug reactions are fed into the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee’s (ADRAC) reporting system (see August 2003 MedicinesTalk). If the suspected reaction has not been reported previously, the report will be examined — together with any other similar reports — to determine whether it could be a new adverse reaction. Often, it is only when many reports are examined together that new information about a medicine comes to light. If the newly discovered adverse reaction has any safety implications, appropriate action will be taken, and the manufacturer and health professionals will be informed. You can also ring the AME Line to find out if a symptom you have developed may be an adverse drug reaction. However, if you want information about the side effects of a medicine, you should ring Medicines Line, the consumer medicines information helpline, on 1300 888 763 (see MedicinesTalk November 2002).

Medication errors and near misses
You can use the AME Line to report medication errors and near misses made by you and your health professionals. A medication error is any mistake related to your medicines, such as being given the wrong medicine. A near miss is an event that was picked up before the mistake occurred. For example, nearly taking the wrong medicine because the container and tablets were almost identical.

Reports of medication errors and near misses are passed on to the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care, an organisation set up to improve the safety of health care in Australia. The Council will examine all the reports to identify the types of errors that have occurred and the circumstances that led to them. The Council will also determine whether the circumstances contributing to an error could be modified to prevent the error recurring. If a preventable problem is identified, the relevant health professionals and services will be informed of the problem and how it can be prevented.

Reporting an event

You are encouraged to ring the AME Line if you suspect that you have (or someone you care for has) experienced an adverse medicine event. Any event that has or may have affected your health or quality of life can be reported. Similarly, any event that has worried you or made you unwilling to continue the medicine is also worth reporting. Your report will enable such events to be monitored, and may prevent the problem recurring.

Ideally, you should ring during or immediately after an event, so the details are still fresh in your mind. However, you are welcome to ring about events that occurred some time ago. When making a report, try to have the following details on hand: underlying symptoms and medical conditions, other medications being used, and what happened. This information will enable the pharmacist to make an accurate report, and give you reliable information and advice.

No identifying information will be passed on without your permission. Any information that could identify anybody in your report will be removed before it is given to the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee or the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care.

You can ring the AME Line on 1300 134 237 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call. The line is open Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 6.00 pm Eastern Standard Time.