Medication
For many long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, there is no ‘cure’, however one of the most common forms of treatment are medications to control symptoms or reduce your risk of complications or other problems arising.
Knowing and understanding your medications fully is one of the most important tasks you can do to help yourself or your loved one.
One of the ‘problems’ that prompted development of this website is where does one find ‘easy-to-read’ information about common medications? The other challenge is some people only want a little information, while others want a lot!
Medication section yet to be fully developed. Over the next few months we will keep adding to this section and the topic pages as we identify reliable and trustworthy information sheets or webpages. Can you help by recommending useful medication resources you’ve come across or your organisation produce?
Overview
- Consumer Medicine Information – (PHARMAC) database, search for a medication
- Prescriber Datasheets - (PHARMAC) more detailed information about medications
- Special authority Forms
What can I do?
One of the key things to remember is when you don’t know or understand something about your medications, ASK your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. They are there to help you and it is important to keep taking your medication as prescribed. Don’t just stop taking your tablets, insulin or inhalers because of something someone says or some vague symptom. Find out what is right for you by checking with your healthcare team and making any changes together.
- Ask Me 3 – Three useful questions to ask at every health visit
- Factsheet – what you can do to avoid medication errors (Institue of Medicine)
- Talk to your doctor/nurse about blister packing
Mahia te mahi, mēnā he painga mō te iwi.
Do what needs to be done if there is a benefit in it for the people
Common Medications
Links to ‘easy to read’ information about common medications are coming soon.
Other Useful Websites
- Medsafe - Govt funded, provides information on the regulation of medicines and medical devices in New Zealand and the safe use of medications
- PHARMAC Online – order PHARMAC information and resources
- Te Whaioranga - means optimal wellness. New site from PHARMAC to support working more effectively with whanau
- Safer Rx - website from Waitemata DHB to support safer use of high risk medications
Further Information
- Preventing Medication Errors – Quality Chasm Series Report Brief (Institute of Medicine)
- Interventions for enhancing medication adherence – (Cochrane Review, 2007)
- Medication Adherence – Evidence for Action (World Health Organisation, 2003)