Galway Advertiser 2004/2004_02_12/GA_1202_E1_018.pdf 

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Galway Advertiser

February 12 2004

NEWS

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FASHION

BEAUTY

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H E A LT H

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LIFE

MARY
Is your medicine cupboard laden with unfinished cough mixtures, tablets to ward off everything from flu to Deli belly and out-of-date vitamins? If so, it may be time to do a spring clean. It is estimated that millions of euro worth of dangerous drugs are lying around Irish homes years after they were prescribed for long forgotten illnesses. Prescribed tablets that disagree with patients, courses of treatment abandoned when an illness clears up and pills left after the death of patients are the most common factors in this build-up of unwanted medicines. Many people retain prescribed drugs because of their high cost and in the hope that they might be of further use. Pharmacists say the main dangers of having disused medicines lying around the house is they can go out-ofdate, may be a risk to children and people may be tempted to share them. Most cough mixtures and children's liquid pain and fever preparations have an expiry date stamped on the label. It is safe to keep those medicines if they are stored in a cool, dry place. If the expiry date has passed, then the medicine should be disposed of. Pharmacists say the expiry date for diluted medicine is about two weeks. Normal bottles of medicine bought over the counter will keep for around six months, unopened bottles for about five years. Most of us are guilty of hoarding medicines, says Brendan Quinn, a pharmacist in Gort and a former president of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union. "We've been brought up believing that we shouldn't throw medicines away. But most don't last for long. Quite a few only keep for a month, some last six months. Really, if you haven't used something in six months, you should throw it out." accidental poisoning, especially if there are children in the house, he warns. The commonest drugs are the most toxic, he says. Iron tablets are particularly dangerous if accidentally taken by children - one can kill a child. Paracetamol can cause irreversible damage, too. Prescription drugs are more likely to be involved in accidental poisonings than over-the-counter preparations, say experts. Most result from medicines which are not kept in child resistant containers. The IPU says up to 50 per cent of patients do not take their medicines as prescribed and one third to a half of all medicines dispensed are wasted through incorrect usage. Shane Howard, a pharmacist at Howard's Pharmacy in Moycullen, says people often stop taking essential medicines because they may not fully understand why they were prescribed them in the first place and may have fears about possible side effects. He says pharmacists are there to help and advise people about medicines."We ensure patients get the right medicine, in the right dose, at the right time and in the right way. By empowering patients to ask about and take responsibility for their medication they are likely to get a greater therapeutic benefit from their medicines." The Western Health Board is appealing to people to return their old, unwanted and out of date medicines to their local pharmacy during February and March. They should remove the outer packaging before doing this. All pharmacies in the region are participating in the campaign known as DUMP (Disposal of Unwanted Medicines Properly). The health authority warns that medicines should never be disposed of with other household waste for safety reasons or flushed down the toilet for environmental reasons. The National Poisons

O'CONNOR
Information centre received more than 2,000 calls in 2002 about children who had taken medicines in error, according to the WHB. "Sometimes, this happens when the child visits relatives who don't normally have children about," explains a spokesperson. " Older people often need more medication and we would ask them, and any person involved in the care of older people, to check for medications no longer required."

Playing safe with medicines

Medicines can interact
Nuala Prendeville, a pharmacist with the WHB's primary care department, stresses it is very important not to take a prescription medicine that has not been prescribed for you. "While you may be experiencing the similar signs and symptoms as your friend or neighbour, there may be a very good reason why the medicine is not suitable for you. Sometimes a medicine will interact with another you are already taking. That is why it is always important to tell both your GP and pharmacist about all medicines you are taking even those you can buy over the counter. Just because you can buy the medicine without a prescription it does not mean that it cannot interact with other medicines and cause unwanted side effects or symptoms." Often, patients do not finish a course of antibiotics when they feel better but keep the remainder in case they need them again, she says. "This is not advisable for a number of reasons. If you do not finish a course of antibiotics, there is a risk that the more resistant bacteria will not have been eradicated and the infection may return and be more difficult to treat. There is also the temptation to take the leftover antibiotics the next time you get a cold/sore throat when an
Most of us are guilty of hoarding medicines, says Brendan Quinn, a pharmacist in Gort

Iron tablets can kill
Leaving medicines lying around increases the risk of

antibiotic may not be needed at all. It is recognised that the inappropriate use of antibiotics is contributing to the growth of antimicrobial resistance in the community. "

Managing your medicine
* Use it exactly as stated on the label. Don't try to crush or dissolve tablets or break up capsules, unless stated. Always use a special 5ml measure - not a teaspoon for liquid medicines. Pay attention to special warnings. If the tablets could make you drowsy, do not drive. * Finish all of it unless your doctor tells you not to * Do not share it with others or use prescription medicines not prescribed for you. * Check expiry dates. Do not use out-of-date products * If you forget to take your medicine, don't double the next dose. Ask your doctor or pharmacist * Store it in a cool, dry place

out of sunlight. Don't keep it in the bathroom because the heat and moisture could damage it. Heat and light can cause the deterioration of many medicines without this being noticeable to the eye. Store it in its original container. Keep all products, including seemingly harmless ones, like cough bottles, safely locked away and out of the reach of children. * Don't mix drugs. If you are already taking medication including aspirin or indigestion remedies - tell your doctor before he prescribes * If you are in any doubt about which medicine to choose or how to use it ask your pharmacist * Don't save a prescription for future use unless your doctor tells you to * If certain medicines are mixed with alcohol, the result can be harmful. Ask your pharmacist or doctor * Over-the-counter drugs are for short-term use - a week to 10 days - and should never be used for chronic problems without a doctor's guidance

it is very important not to take a prescription medicine that has not been prescribed for you, says Nuala Prendeville

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