What are medicines
Medicines come in many forms - tablets, liquids, capsules, inhalers, patches, suppositories and injections, for example. There are three broad categories of medicines:

• prescription medicines from health professionals
• over the counter medicines from chemists, health shops and supermarkets
• alternative medicines from homoeopaths, naturopaths or herbalists.

Medicines are often given in different ways, at different times, and for different reasons. Sometimes different medicines are given to treat the same problem. Some medicines are given regularly to stop a problem (such as pain or sickness) whereas others are prescribed on a 'just in case' basis.

Practical ways to manage medications
For those with a serious illness, managing medicines is an important task. Keep a record of what is being taken. You could do this by using a medicine chart to record when each medicine is taken. The Caregivers Library has a weekly medicine chart that could be helpful. Without a system it is easy to forget to take medicines or take them twice.

Your Doctor or pharmacist / chemist may also suggest using a Webster pack or dosette box as a way of organising your medicines so that they are easier to manage.

Keep a list of what medicines are prescribed and why they are being taken. This is especially helpful if there is more than one doctor involved, each of whom may prescribe something different. You can take this medicine list to any appointments. It can get confusing when some medicines are stopped and others are started. The National Prescribing Service (NPS) produces a Medicines List form that can be used.

The amount of tablets, and sometimes the size of them, can occasionally make it difficult to swallow them down. If this does become a problem, speak with your doctor. They may be able to prescribe some or all of them in another way (such as a suppository or injection).

It is important to keep medicines in a safe environment, and to store them properly according to the instructions. The Lifespan website has information on how to store medicines safely and effectively. It is also important that you dispose of your unwanted medicines safely. Take unwanted or expired medicines to your pharmacy for correct disposal.

Keeping everyone informed
Doctors and pharmacists can provide information about prescribed medicines. There are questions you may want to ask, and there will be information that you should share with them. Take a list of any medicines (prescribed, bought at the chemist, or complementary) with you.

People who are ill are often seeing more than one doctor at a time. This could be a general practitioner (GP) as well as a hospital specialist, so keep everyone up to date with what medicines are being taken.

Some medicines will no longer be needed. It may be that two medicines work in a similar way, or that the reason for starting the medicine is no longer valid. You can talk to your doctor about this, but don’t stop taking anything without asking first. Your doctor may feel a Home Medicines Review would be helpful to look at these issues. This can be undertaken by a pharmacist or chemist in your home.

When leaving hospital you may be given 'discharge drugs'. These may, or may not, be the same as what you were taking at home. This could get confusing so make sure you discuss this with your doctor.

Adverse events
Sometimes medicines don’t always agree with us, and it is important to keep a look out for any side effects, and to monitor what is happening. This could be anything from a rash, to a wheeze, or sickness and diarrhoea. The Better Health Channel has a sheet on side effects.

If you have emergency concerns about your medicines arising from an overdose or suspected poisoning, call the Poisons Information Centre, 24 hours a day, on phone 13 11 26. For general emergencies call 000, 24 hours a day, and ask for an ambulance.

You can contact the Australian Medicines Adverse Event Line for reporting or advice on adverse drug reactions or errors associated with medicine use.

Complementary, alternative and over the counter medications
There are many medicines, remedies and applications that can be bought at the chemist or pharmacy (over the counter). It is important that these are used properly. Your doctor, chemist or pharmacist needs to know all of the medicines that are being taken as sometimes these can overlap and cause reactions.

There are also medicines and remedies that are considered to be ‘complementary’ or ‘alternative’. Complementary and alternative therapies are treatments outside the mainstream medical practices. Complementary therapies are used alongside traditional treatments while alternative therapies are used instead of them. All medicines, including herbal and natural medicines, can cause unwanted effects and may interact with other medicines. It is important that your doctor, chemist or pharmacist knows what alternative or complementary medicines that you are taking. More information can be found on the CareSearch Complementary Therapies page.

Finding out about specific medications
There is good quality information on specific medicines available.

Medicines Line is a service from the National Prescribing Centre providing independent information on prescription, over the counter, and complementary (herbal / 'natural' / vitamin / mineral) medicines. Freecall: 1300 888 763 and talk to a pharmacist between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday, Eastern Standard Time (EST) for the cost of a local call (mobile calls may cost more).

The pharmaceutical company that makes a medicine prepares Consumer Medicine Information, following Government guidelines to ensure the information is accurate, unbiased and easy to understand. This is often inside the medicine box or packaging. You can also search for it at the National Prescribing Service's Consumer Medicines Information page.

Cost of medicines
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidises medicines which are proven to work. It determines which medicines will be subsidised, how many repeats can be given, whether your GP needs to get a special authorisation script to prescribe it and so on.

Sometimes palliative care medicines are prescribed 'off license' meaning they are used differently and not exactly as the PBS directs. This may mean the Palliative care service or hospital will have to arrange ongoing supply, or a private script can be obtained from your GP (but this will cost more).

Authority scripts - some medicines have restricted access because they may be too expensive or they are at higher risk of causing problems. These medicines need to be written on an ‘authority script’ which means that the doctor gets authorisation to prescribe it. This then ensures the medicine remains affordable.

Sometimes people need to get a lot of prescriptions filled, and this can become costly. PBS medicines are those subsidised by the government. You can search the PBS drug list for different medicines. The PBS has a Safety Net Scheme that you may be eligible for, and Centrelink has a Pharmaceutical Allowance Scheme.

This page was created on 26 March 2007 and is due for review in March 2009