Be Medicinewise Week 2018

The eighth annual Be Medicinewise Week is encouraging Australian families to make good decisions about medicines, medical tests and other health choices. 

Download our campaign toolkit and help spread the message.

Medicines are part of most people’s lives, so it’s critical to have access to all the information we need about the medicines we, and our family members, are taking.

Important information that medicinewise families need to know:

• Taking medicines during pregnancy
  
• Taking medicines while breastfeeding
  
• How to give medicine to a child in your care
  
• How to remember what medicines you’re taking
  
• How to remember when to take your medicine
  
• How to store medicines correctly
  
• How to dispose of unwanted or unused medicines correctly

No matter what type of medicines you or your family take, it’s important to know your medicines. If medicines aren’t used correctly, the results can be serious.

• An estimated 9 million Australians take prescription medicine every day.
  
• Each year more than 230,000 Australians are hospitalised with problems caused by their medicine.
  
• 61% of Australians have stopped their medicine without consulting a health professional or have not taken medicines as directed 
  

• Find out 5 important questions to ask your doctor from Choosing Wisely Australia

• Consumers can call our Medicines Line on 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424)
  
• Download our free MedicineWise app
  
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

2016

We encouraged people to ask the right questions, ask the right people and follow the right advice to get the most out of their medicines.

30k video views

2015

Jimmy Rees (from ‘Giggle and Hoot’) helped us remind parents and carers how to properly administer medicines to children.

732 media hits

2014

Dr D’Arcy returned to encourage older Australians to prepare for any medicine-related issues they might face.

270 media hits

2013

Bert Newton and Dr John D’Arcy were celebrity ambassadors, asking older Australians to take a medicine challenge each day.

10k web visits

2012

Following its success, the campaign ran annually. We encouraged people to understand medicines and their active ingredients.

3.5M reached

2011

Be Medicinewise Week sparked a national conversation on the safe and wise use of medicines. The campaign was featured on Channel 7, TMS, radio and included brand ambassadors like Mel Doyle.

1.5M reached