Aust Prescr
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Dietary supplements are the most common type of complementary medicine in Australia, reportedly used by 47% of the population. Vitamins and minerals are particularly popular Like all medicines, supplements can cause potential harms such as adverse reactions, drug interactions, monetary cost, delay of more effective therapy, false hope, and increased medication burden Although most vitamins and minerals are available for open sale, many are subject to legal restrictions as scheduled medicines, depending on the dose Consumers are at risk of overdose when the same ingredient is present in multiple products Health professionals can assist consumers by discussing the potential benefits and harms of vitamins and minerals and assisting them to find authoritative information Adverse events with vitamins and minerals should be reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
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Some commonly prescribed drugs have ocular adverse effects. Many parts of the eye can be affected by oral drugs. ⋯ This can be supported by good communication between the prescribing clinician and ophthalmologist Infrequent or delayed ocular adverse effects may not be identified in clinical trials of new drugs. Reporting adverse events is therefore important.
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Insomnia can have significant health and economic impacts. In contrast, sleep disturbance is common but does not usually affect daytime activity Short-term approaches for acute insomnia are often appropriate. ⋯ If there is no response, referral should be considered Adjuvant use of drugs in insomnia may be appropriate in some cases. Prescription should be for a limited duration.