Reporting of non-prescribed medication usage in remote Australia: health-seeking habits in Port Headland

Reporting of non-prescribed medication usage in remote Australia: health-seeking habits in Port Headland Journal Article

Australian Journal of Rural Health

• Author(s): Ellis, Isabelle, Deacon-Crouch, Melissa, Bhana, Ashwin, Longley, Kieran, Voon, Nicholas, Skinner, Timothy
• Published: 2013
• Volume: 21

Link to resource Report broken link

Abstract: Studies have indicated that the emergency department is the third most common site of hospital adverse events –many attributed to negligence. Because the emergency department is their first point of contact, large numbers of people are potentially exposed to mostly preventable adverse events. Further studies have indicated that the phase in care where most adverse events occur is during the medical examination and history taking. Clinicians in the emergency department of Port Hedland Hospital reported concern that individuals attending the emergency department were not reporting use of non-prescribed medications. Given that non-prescribed medications have the potential to cause adverse drug reactions and complementary and alternative medicines are used extensively by patients who attend Australian emergency departments, we sought to determine the usage of non-prescribed medications and people’s willingness to report their use in a remote town. Non-prescribed medications included bush medicines, complementary and alternative therapies and over-the-counter medicines.

• Urls: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajr.12071/abstract, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12071