Relaxed attitude towards medicines leading to more problems
The National Prescribing Service says Australians’ nonchalant attitude towards medicines is leading to further health problems for many people and is placing avoidable pressure on our health system.
An article published in the Medical Journal of Australia has detailed serious health effects in patients who misused pain killers containing ibuprofen and codeine, and notes more than half a million Australians use combination pain relief products for non-medical purposes.
Because of its opioid effects, codeine can cause dependence with long term use, and this may lead people to increase their dose.
When people take combination products containing codeine in higher doses than recommended, they are also taking high doses of the other pain relief ingredients – paracetamol or ibuprofen – and it’s these ingredients which, when misused, can cause serious problems such as stomach and liver damage.
