Using Medicine Wisely
Only use medicine that was prescribed for you
There are real dangers in using medicine not intended for you - the medicine could harm or kill you. It is illegal to use medicine prescribed for another person.
What if I need to collect medicine for someone else?
You are allowed to collect medicine for other people. You will need to give the pharmacist:
- the person’s Medicare card details
- the person’s current concession and/or DVA health card details if they have one.
Don’t get more medicine than you need
It is dangerous to keep excess amounts of medicine at home. Medicine can pass their use-by date and there are risks of accidental poisoning and overdose. Don’t obtain extra quantities of medicine before you need them. Getting more medicine than you need endangers your health and the health of others.
Learn about your medicine
Find out as much as you can from your doctor and pharmacist about your medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about:
- possible side effects
- how and when to take your medicine
- any precautions you should be aware of, such as not drinking alcohol or driving when taking certain medicine.
It is important that medicine is used safely and wisely. If you take a number of medicines or if you are having difficulty managing them, you may benefit from a service known as a Home Medicines Review. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information about this service.
Tell your doctor if you are taking other medicine
Medicine can interact with each other and cause problems. This can occur with prescription medicine, over-the-counter medicines and complementary/herbal medicine. If you visit more than one doctor, make sure you tell each of them about all the medicine you are taking.
Travelling overseas with PBS medicine
Taking PBS medicine overseas that is not for your personal use or the use of someone travelling from Australia with you is illegal. When planning to travel overseas with PBS medicine it is important that you:
- talk to your doctor about the medicine you will need to take with you
- contact the embassy of the country you are visiting to ensure the medicine is legal there
- carry a letter from your doctor stating what the medicine is, how much you will be taking and that it's for your personal use
- leave the medicine in its original packaging so it is clearly labelled with your name and dosage.
Last updated: 28 May, 2008