2 November, 2007

It is a well known fact that most medicines can cause side effects – some as simple as nausea or indigestion, while some are more serious such as possible liver damage or difficulty breathing.

In an article titled What to do about side effects published in the current spring edition of MedicinesTalk, consumers are being reassured that most side effects are minor and don’t cause significant problems, but it is important to know what to do if they experience more serious side effects.

Ms Hannah Baird, Community Quality Use of Medicines program manager at National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) advises consumers to seek advice from their doctor or pharmacist first if they think they are concerned about any possible side effects from their medication.

The side effect could be a result of the medicine alone or something else reacting with the medicine, for example a change in diet or certain vitamin pills.

“Ask if there is any way of avoiding the side effects or whether there is another way of taking the medicine or treating the condition,” said Ms Baird.

“We advise that if people are concerned about potential side effects to talk to their doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible. Its important not to reduce the dosage or to stop taking the medicine altogether as that can make them ineffective” said Ms Baird.

Most prescription medicines have a Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet which consumers can get from their doctor or pharmacist. These CMI’s will list all possible minor or major side effects and what consumers should do about them.

People can also call the NPS Medicines Line on 1300 888 763 and speak to a pharmacist.

MedicinesTalk is a quarterly newsletter written by consumers and published by NPS. Other articles in the Spring edition include Complementary and alternative medicines: What you need to know; and New Medicines: A testing process.

For a copy of MedicinesTalk, visit www.nps.org.au/consumers

ENDS