Medication guides?

[wam79]

I will be moving to S.A. from Hawaii at the end of the year.

What Australian med guide would be best to get now? I will need to learn the different meds used compared to the USA.

Are there nursing drug refrence books for Ausrtalia?

Any help greatly appreciated

Bill

[talaxandra]

Hi Bill - still sorry you're not coming to Victoria!

If you're going to go all out, an Aussie MIMS is probably your best bet. I bought a more lay-oriented guide to meds when I was a student, but it may not have the depth you want - I'll check out the author and other details when I get home and post them tonight.

That said, I think you'll probably pick everything up without too much trouble, even without a text.

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

Talaxandra said it best - I know here in QLD we have Micormedex available online for all the hospitals through the clinicians knowledge network and that will list all the names for the same drug internationally.

Most have the same generic names even if the trade names are different but there are a few exceptions

The common ones are paracetamol = acetaminophen

adrenaline = epinephrine

This is the PBS list - the list of our most commonly available (and goverement subsidised) drugs

http://www1.health.gov.au/pbs/scripts/search.cfm

This has some useful translations

http://www1.health.gov.au/pbs/scripts/search.cfm

These drug books are very good value for money and a LOT of the docs carry them.

http://www.tg.com.au/?sectionid=97

Some Australian law relating to medications ( and probably more than you want to or need to know:p

http://www.tga.gov.au/

(although drug administration laws vary from state to state:rolleyes: )

This link has a listing of links that might be very useful

http://www.australianprescriber.com/index.php?content=/html/links.htm

This also has some comparative names

http://www.ic-network.com/glossary/glossarypain.html

You might find that some of the more common drugs you are used to are just not available here or only in a different form.

Bottom line - don't sweat it too much. It is a bit like going from measuring in feet and inches to metric - don't try to convert - just accept the new measures.

[wam79]

Thanks for the tips that is good info

I have Micromedex at work.

I will check if they have they International info available.

Talaxandra- I'm sure we will visit Victoria often. To cool and wet for me to live there

I would have opted for QLD ( gwenith ) . My wife wants to have cooler weather

We have been in a warm climate for 14 years. Now it's time for a change I suppose it's is her turn:chuckle

Bill