We know that many of our clients and those in the community are unsure about and not confident about the medication they take. We found that only 50% of those using medication described it as “helpful” and others found it unhelpful or were unsure. Medication literacy or knowledge is important for consumers and the community. The difficulty is often that our healthcare system is not always available to provide information and consumers can be left wondering about what they have been prescribed or how it works.
So, what can consumers or the community do in order to improve mental health literacy? They can improve on their knowledge and confidence and feel empowered to ask questions, make changes to the advice given by their GP or psychiatrist. Many consumers feel that talking at length with their psychologist may help them make decisions about their medications, purpose and usage. Depending on the psychologists’ experience or training, this may not always lead to enhanced knowledge. Updating yourself and your allied health professionals is easy and we encourage you to learn more. Google might not always provide the right results, so we have a list of the go to places for information.
Firstly, in Australia the National Prescribing Service https://www.nps.org.au/ provide the CMI or Consumer Medication Information sheet for all medications prescribed in Australia. This is a great resource for all consumers and those in the community, and allied health professionals. Apart from just learning more, some people may be experiencing symptoms and really worried about their health.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms a few options are;
- Call 000 in an emergency
- In Queensland, you call 1300 HEALTH or 13 43 25 84; this is a free service. A qualified nurse will take your details and provide you with recommendations. They are usually quick to respond and will provide you with advice.
Other times, the lack of confidence or being unsure about medications might be your main concern. Try the following;
- It can be hard to discuss medications at length with your doctor due to time constraints. A good idea can be to print off the CMI and highlight questions you have about side effects, your dose and symptoms.
- Most clients believe that talking to their psychologist will help them feel more supported. It can be helpful to share what you have learned, again printing off the CMI means the both you and your psychologist/allied health practitioner have up to date information.
- One of the easiest ways to find out more from an expert, is to chat to your local pharmacist. The great thing is that pharmacists are free, you don’t need an appointment, they have extensive knowledge and can also sometimes review your medications, discuss complementary medications and other concerns. If you can find a quieter day to visit your local pharmacist you might find great information about the medications you are using, their purpose and side effects. Instead of just filling a script, ask a few questions if you are not sure. You can even just call a local pharmacy, you don’t need to be physically present. This is one of the most unused services when it comes to ways to find out about medications.
The most important thing is, if you are not sure, keep asking to learn more. More knowledge is always a good thing!
To make an appointment at Vision Psychology, you can book online or call Vision Psychology Brisbane on 07 3088 5422.