There’s more to looking after your medicines than just remembering to take them. Are they stored safely? Have they gone past their used by date? Are you taking them at the right time?

The Autumn edition of MedicinesTalk, a newsletter written by consumers for consumers and published by the National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS), includes tips for looking after your medicines and using them safely.

“The most important thing to do is learn how to read your medicine label and packet as this contains all the information you need, such as the active ingredient and dosage, when to take the medicine, whether it needs refrigerating, how many repeats you still have, and the expiry date,” said NPS deputy CEO, Karen Kaye.

Other things to consider are:

• Ask questions - Before you start a medicine, check the instructions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you might have and to write down any instructions for you.
• Think ahead - Going away on holiday? To avoid accidently missing a dose, plan to see your doctor or pharmacist ahead of time so you have enough medicine to last.
• Storing medicines -  Most medicines are designed to be kept at room temperature or cooler but at higher temperatures they may deteriorate. Put your medicines somewhere cool and dry, away from heat and moisture. Don’t keep them in the fridge, above the stove, in direct sunlight, or in the bathroom. Always keep medicines out of reach and out of sight of children.
• Medication organisers - If you take several medicines each day ask your pharmacist about dose administration aids, which store each dose of your medicines in a series of labelled compartments, helping you to remember to take the right medicine at the right time.  
• Disposing of old medicines - If you have expired or unused medicines, your local pharmacist can arrange for them to be disposed of safely. Putting them down the sink, into the toilet or out with the garbage can be dangerous to both humans and the environment.

You can find out more about how to use medicines safely in the Autumn issue of MedicinesTalk. For copies visit www.nps.org.au/consumers/publications/medicines_talk or contact 02 8217 8700.

ENDS

The National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is an independent, non-profit organisation for the Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.