NEW data from NSW Poisons Information Centre has found a 25% increase in medication error calls between 2013 -- 2017.
Medication errors are the most common reason for calling poisons hotline, the centre states, while in Victoria, the Poisons Information Centre receives an average 113 calls a day relating to mistakes taking or giving over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
Medicine poisonings accounted for 5,580 hospitalisations of Australian children in 2015, with 32,000 calls made to Australian Poison Information Centres relating to children being unintentionally exposed to medicines in 2015.
In spite of the advertising around the RUM Project, around 80% of Australians do not know how to dispose of unwanted medicines safely and appropriately.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 22 Feb 18
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