Drug information: Professional resources

Information in these pages can help health service organisations and clinicians identify and implement strategies to improve medication safety.

Choosing Wisely is here to encourage and support clinicians, consumers and organisations who are committed to embedding Choosing Wisely recommendations and principles into practice.

General information about the safety of medicines and how safety is monitored.

This website contains information on medicines in the form of Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) and Product Information (PI) in the latest versions provided by the pharmaceutical companies.

Virtual Medical Centre is Australia’s leading source for trustworthy medical information written by health professionals based on Australian guidelines.

NDARC has created factsheets that provide quality information and related activities that increase the effectiveness of treatment and other intervention responses to alcohol and other drug related harm.

Independent, not-for-profit, evidence-based and consumer-centred information about medicines.

This website contains information on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme including details of the medicines subsidised by the Australian Government as well as information for consumers, carers, health professionals and the pharmaceutical industry.

SafeScript is a new system providing prescription information to enable the safer supply of high risk medicines.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is Australia's government authority responsible for evaluating, assessing and monitoring products that are defined as therapeutic goods. The TGA regulate medicines, medical devices and biologicals to help Australians stay healthy and safe.

Developed at Hitlab NZ and Christchurch Hospital / University of Otago Christchurch, New Zealand, this site is for any student or practitioner requiring Clinical Pharmacology knowledge. A basic understanding of physiology and pharmacology is assumed.

Medsafe is the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority. Information that patients should know about medicines and medical devices including updates on staying safe and healthy, with a New Zealand focus.

The NZF is an independent resource providing healthcare professionals with clinically validated medicines information and guidance on best practice, enabling healthcare professionals to select safe and effective medicines for individual patients.

Numerous Resources Including: Clinicians’ Newsletter, Pharmaceutical Schedule, Special Authority Forms.

Labelling and packaging is part of the Australian system of regulating medicines and medical devices.

The Poisons Standard is a record of decisions on the classification of medicines and chemicals into Schedules. It also includes model provisions for containers and labels, and recommendations about other controls on medicines and chemicals.

Over time we've updated some medicine ingredient names used in Australia to align with names used in other countries.

This database lists the warning and advisory statements that are required on medicine and related product labels under regulations 13(1)(i) and 14(1)(f) of the Medicines Regulations 1984.

Pharmac wants to outline for suppliers the naming and labelling preferences it has when considering a pharmaceutical for listing in the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

ROSI is a multidisciplinary toolkit to help navigate opioid stewardship. It aims to provide healthcare facilities with practical, user-friendly information and resources to help facilities begin to implement an opioid stewardship program.

The main purpose of the NOPSAD collection is to aggregate standardised jurisdictional data on the number of clients accessing pharmacotherapy for the treatment of opioid dependence, the number of prescribers participating in the delivery of pharmacotherapy treatment, and quantitative information about the prescribing sector, enabling national information on pharmacotherapy to be reported.

Resources from the CDC that promote the responsible and effective use of these medications in the treatment of pain.

The Department of Health and Human Services has worked with NPS MedicineWise to develop a range of resources for health professionals, as well as consumer fact sheets, to promote the safer use of opioid medicines.

Our professional documents, statements and guidelines are crucial for promoting the safety and quality of patient care for those undergoing anaesthesia for surgical and other procedures and for those receiving pain medicine treatment.

The National Drug Strategy aims to reduce and prevent harm caused by drugs. Six sub-strategies focus on specific issues such as alcohol, ice, tobacco, and workforce development.

The National Medicines Policy aims to improve positive health outcomes for all Australians through their access to and wise use of medicines.

Scheduling is a national classification system that controls how medicines and poisons are made available to the public. Medicines and poisons are classified into Schedules according to the level of regulatory control over the availability of the medicine or poison required to protect public health and safety.

PHARMAC is the New Zealand government agency that decides which medicines and related products are funded in New Zealand. It works to give New Zealanders access to medicines and related products they need to live healthy lives.

Up to date, approved and regulated prescribing
and patient information for licensed medicines.

Drugs A-Z, Pill Identifier, Supplements, Symptom Checker, Diseases, Dictionary, and MultiMedia resources.

MedEffect Canada provides consumers, patients, and health professionals with easy access to information and options to: report an adverse reaction or side effect; obtain new safety information on drugs and other health products; and learn and better understand the importance of reporting side effects.

Includes searchable lists of adverse drug reactions by drug (Drug Analysis Prints (DAPs) / drug analysis profiles (iDAPs)).

Information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free.

The publication Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (commonly known as the Orange Book) identifies drug products approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) and related patent and exclusivity information.

The FDA is responsible for protecting public health in the US by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices. This link directs users to the drugs database and information on the FDA website. This is a product of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), and this body ensures that safe and effective drugs are available to improve the health of the people in the United States.

The Department of Health helps to protect the community from the potential harm of medicines and chemicals. One way it does this is through controls defined in Victorian Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances legislation.

The NSW Poisons Information Centre provides the latest poisons information to the public, and toxicology advice to health professionals on the management of poisoned and envenomed patients.

From the Australian Department of Health.

The Poisons Standard is a record of decisions on the classification of medicines and chemicals into Schedules. It also includes model provisions for containers and labels, and recommendations about other controls on medicines and chemicals.

The VPIC provides advice to the Victorian Public and to health care providers about what to do if a person has been poisoned, has overdosed, has made a mistake with medicines or has been bitten/stung by a snake, spider, bee, wasp or other creature.

The main role of the National Poisons Centre NZ is to provide advice to members of the public and health care professionals about acute poisoning situations.

The TOXINZ™ Poisons Information Database is produced by the New Zealand National Poisons Centre at the University of Otago.

ANZCA Library has compiled a list of support resources relevant to the general wellbeing of medical practitioners.

This page contains details of the ANZCA Doctors' Support Program (Converge), health advisory services, and bullying & harassment support, as well as the college's Doctors' Health & Wellbeing Framework.

The ANZCA webpage of the Wellbeing special interest group, which includes their mission, events and further information about becoming a member.

Many different services are available to help you or someone you know quit drugs.

The Drug Education Network (DEN) provides school education, workforce training, resources and information to help keep Tasmanians safe from harm caused by alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Process indicators to measure quality use of medicines (QUM) in Australian Hospitals have now been updated and revised with funding support from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC).

This section of the TGA website includes links to articles about the general safety of medicines and medical devices, including how the safety of products is assessed and monitored.

Consumers, health and industry professionals can report problems or side-effects through this page. There is an online form, as well as phone or email contact information.

Frequently asked questions relating to adverse events and the reporting of same, from the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia.