Medicine safety risks identified for diverse Australian communities

A report from Adelaide University researchers has identified significant medicine safety risks for culturally and linguistically diverse Australians. The study, prepared for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, found that one in three Australians receiving medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) was born overseas.

Of particular concern is that approximately 45% of PBS medicine recipients with limited English proficiency are dispensed six or more medicines, affecting an estimated 214,000 people. Dr Imaina Widagdo of the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre noted that when instructions regarding dosage, timing, or side effects are not available in a language the patient understands, the risk of medicine-related harm increases.

The findings have prompted calls for improved access to interpreters, multilingual medicine information, and increased pharmacist-led support to ensure patients can use high-risk medicines safely.