Approximately 250,000 Australians are admitted to hospital every year because of problems associated with the use of medicines.
Some of reasons include taking medicines incorrectly, combining them with alcohol or using medicines prescribed for someone else.
Make sure your doctor and other health professionals know about every medicine you take, including prescription, non-prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and complementary medicines such as vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements.
Keep all medicines out of children’s reach.
Dispose of unwanted or out-of-date medicines by returning them to your local pharmacy – never give any of your medicines to other people.
These could include pain, allergies, constipation , cold and flu, or nausea . But sometimes OTC medicines can cause unpleasant effects. These are called adverse effects
