National Prescribing Service
(Aust Prescr 2002;25:115)
Medicines Line 1300 888 763
The National Prescribing Service has launched Medicines
Line, a national telephone service providing information for
the general public. For the cost of a local call, people will be able
to ask questions about their medicines, including over-the-counter and
complementary medicines.
Medicines Line
is staffed by drug information specialists and will aim to provide independent
evidence-based information. It will focus on information about drugs.
Medicines Line will not give opinions
on clinical management or the appropriateness of someone’s medication.
Callers will be encouraged to discuss the information
with their own general practitioner or community pharmacist, as they
will be best placed to help interpret the medicines information in the
context of the person’s health. When the caller gives permission,
a copy of the information provided to them will also be forwarded to
their general practitioner or community pharmacist.
The service will be operated from the Mater Hospital,
Brisbane, by a consortium that includes the Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia. Medicines Line will
complement the existing NPS Therapeutic Advice and Information Service
for health professionals.
Contact details for the two NPS telephone services
are
for consumers: Medicines Line 1300
888 763
for health professionals: Therapeutic
Advice and Information Service 1300 138 677
