Drugs common in self-harm
July 9, 2014
A NEW report from the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare
(AIHW) found pharmaceutical drugs
were involved in about 77% of
hospitalisations for intentional selfharm
in Australians aged 65 and
over in 2011-12.
Intentional self harm accounted
for less than 1% of all hospitalised
injury cases for this group, which
was about 126,000 Australians.
Just under half, or 48% of cases
involved use of substances in a
drug category which included
antidepressants, tranquillisers and
sedatives, with benzodiazepines the
leading principal diagnosis.
Poisoning by pharmaceuticals
overall accounted for about 1%
of total hospitalisations at 1,519
cases, AIHW said.
Of the 1,284 cases where the
place of unintentional poisoning
was recorded, 27% occurred in a
hospital or similar health service
area, 11% in a residential aged care
facility and 60% in the home.
Rates were higher for those in
older age groups, with the highest
rates in the 85 and over age group,
AIHW said.
Medications used to treat
diabetes and manage pain were the
most common drugs reported in
these cases in 2011-12, it said.
NPS MedicineWise design and
development manager Aine
Heaney said NPS urged all health
organisations to be active in
preventing medicine misadventure,
saying pharmacists should identify
inappropriate prescribing and the
risks of polypharmacy, particularly
in older Australians where risks
of medication misadventure were
higher.
“Pharmacists can also support
consumers to be an active partner
in their own health care.”
Encouraging customers to keep an
up to date medicines list to share
with their health professionals was
an effective way to ensure risks of
taking multiple medicines could be
minimised, Heaney said.
To read the full report, CLICK
HERE.
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