Australians not so medicinewise
Results from a National Prescribing Service (NPS) survey show Australians are not so wise when it comes to medicine. Of the 1,500 consumers reported 65% had used a prescription medicine in the last three months, 60% had used an over-the-counter medicine and 45% had used an alternative or herbal medicine.
When asked where they would go to find accurate information about medicines, most respondents said a pharmacist (64%) and/or a doctor (60%). However, when asked if they did ask questions of their doctor or pharmacist the last time they received or purchased a medicine, 60% said no and 48% said they did not tell their doctor or pharmacist about other medicines they were taking.
Released to coincide with the launch of Be Medicinewise Week NPS clinical adviser, Dr Danielle Stowasser, says the research shows it’s time Australians started asking more questions about their medicines.
Of those surveyed, less than half considered certain vitamins and herbs to be medicines: multivitamins (23%), echinacea (24%), fish oil (32%). Awareness of Chinese herbal remedies as medicines was slightly higher at 41%.
Other over-the-counter products were not universally recognised as medicines, as more than 23% of respondents said nasal spray for hayfever was not a medicine while 22% did not consider cough syrup a medicine.
“Just because something is sold without a prescription doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t have strong effects, which is why it’s important that Australians start to think of medicines in a much broader sense,” Dr Stowasser said.
Australians are also unsure about identifying what’s in their medicines. While respondents were not expected to know ingredient names, 40% said they would not be able to find the active ingredient on a medicine packet.
“Knowing what’s in your medicines is really important, and can prevent serious problems such as accidentally double-dosing or taking something you’re allergic to. Some medicines are known under several different brand names, and may be different sizes, shapes and colours, but they still contain the same active ingredient.
“Other medicines might contain ingredients that you didn’t realise. For example, cold and flu tablets and Lemsip contain paracetamol, which is also the main ingredient in Panadol and Herron so taking both actually puts your health at risk,” Dr Stowasser said.
“Asking the right questions is also key to being medicinewise. Think about why you’re taking a medicine, what it’s for and whether it might interact with other medicines, and use trusted information sources like NPS, your doctor or pharmacist to help you make medicines decisions,” Dr Stowasser said.
Be Medicinewise Week runs from 30 January to 6 February http://www.nps.org.au
