NPS drug switch warning
April 23, 2012
IN the wake of the recent PBS
price changes, the NPS is urging
pharmacists to avoid multiple
switching of medicine brands for
patients who may be at higher risk
of confusion from switching.
Pharmacists must, according to
NPS, always place patients at the
centre of care when dispensing
advice about medicine brand
choices.
“It’s important people know that
if they are offered an alternative
brand of their medicine that it will
be just as safe and effective as their
original brand, however for some
people the benefits of choosing a
different brand, such as a lower
price, may not be worth the
drawback of an unfamiliar medicine
packet,” said NPS Head of
Programs, Karen Kaye.
“One way to help patients who do
consent to a switch is for
pharmacists to use auxiliary label
15 which points out that the
medicine replaces another, and
that the patient should not use
both,” she added.
However for consumers such as
older patients, who are generally
taking multiple medications,
adjusting to different looking
medicine packages with different
brand names may be difficult and
may cause distress and/or medicine
mishaps.
“There are also certain medicines,
such as warfarin, as well as some
medicines for certain conditions,
such as epilepsy, thyroid conditions,
and transplant rejection that
should not be substituted without
permission from the doctor,” Kaye
said.
Interestingly, the NPS recently
released figures on medicine
substitution, which showed that
74% of Australians were offered an
alternative brand of medication by
their pharmacist the last time that
they filled their prescription.
Of this figure 72% accepted the
swap offer, whilst 25% stayed with
their original brand.
“Ultimately the choice of
medicine brand lies with the
consumer but it’s important
pharmacists always ensure the
consumer is at the centre of care
and that their individual
circumstances are taken into
account when discussing choice of
medicine brand with them,” said
Kaye.
To help consumers with making
an informed choice regarding
swapping brands, the NPS has
published five questions for
patients to ask when offered an
alternative brand of medicine,
these include: “Is it okay for me to
choose a different brand of my
medicine?, What are the benefits
and disadvantages for me if I use a
different brand?, Is there a
difference in cost?, Which of my
usual medicines does this replace?,
and What is the active ingredient in
my medicine?”.
For more details on generic
medicines and informing patients
about multiple brands, see -
www.nps.org.au.
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