Australian and New Zealand journal of public health
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Aust N Z J Public Health · Aug 2010
Medications used in overdose and how they are acquired - an investigation of cases attending an inner Melbourne emergency department.
This study aimed to investigate which categories of medication are most commonly implicated in overdose, to compare this information with prescription data and to explore how the medications used in overdoses are typically acquired. ⋯ The time of medication prescription and dispensing may be an ideal opportunity for overdose prevention, through judicious prescribing, consideration of treatment alternatives, patient education and encouraging the safe disposal of unused medications.