Alcohol

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Alcohol

• and prescription drugs

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Alcohol

• Used by 84 of Australians
• Almost considered part of our lifestyle

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Harm from alcohol

• 1998-99 4,800 deaths
• 400,000 hospital bed days
• Social costs 7.5 billion
• Production loss
• Accidents
• Crime
• Health costs

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Alcohol dependency

• 5 of Australians
• 20 use alcohol in a way that can harm others
• Alcohol is related to death in adolescents
• Unintentional injuries
• Homicide
• Suicide

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Facts about drugs

• Tobacco 71 of drug related-deaths
• Alcohol 26 of drug related-deaths
• Other drugs 3 of drug-related deaths

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Alcohol

• Head to toe!
• Brain
• Heart, BP
• Gut
• Liver
• Blood
• Skin
• Muscles
• Endocrine/metabolic
• Genitals
• Bone

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The Reward Pathway
Sex Thirst Hunger Chocolate Intoxication Love Mone
y Doing your tax
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Short term effects of alcohol

• Sedation
• Slowed thinking and speech
• Impaired breathing
• Sleep disruption
• Irritation to gut lining
• Hangovers

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What makes these effects worse?

• If we are young people
• If we are older people
• If we are pregnant
• If we are breast feeding
• If we have social problems
• If we have mental health problems
• AND

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What happens if we add medication?

• Short term effects may be made into long term
  effects
• Make alcohol stay in blood stream longer

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If we take medications

• Interactions
• Additive effects
• Effect on liver

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How can this happen?

• Large does of alcohol can affect increase levels
  of the drug and case adverse effects
• Sometimes alcohol decreases the availability of
  the drug and dose may need to be increased
• Alcohol can be toxic to liver

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If alcohol is taken with

• Warfarin is increased so risk of bleeding
  increased

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If alcohol is taken with

• Blood pressure meds can cause postural
  hypotension and increase risk of falls

15
If alcohol is taken with

• Sedatives additive effect so more risk of
  daytime drowsiness and falls

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If alcohol is taken with

• Pain relievers sedation can increase

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If alcohol is taken with

• NSAIDS increases risk of bleed

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If alcohol is taken

• Alcohol acts as a diuretic and can wash away some
  medications
• Herbal remedies

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What can we do?

• Alcohol in moderation
• Have a list of what you take
• Read labels on medicine

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What else can we do?

• Read CMI
• If taking a lot of medications be aware that
  alcohol can affect them
• ASK your doctor or pharmacist

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If you are concerned.

• Ask you GP for
• a Home Medicines Review

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How does HMR work?

• Ask your GP
• GP makes a Referral and sends to pharmacy
• Pharmacist organises a time for interview
• Interview at your home, or at your choice
• Report to GP
• Return to GP for Management Plan
• You can agree/ disagree to plan

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Thank you

• Carlene Smith
• The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
• NSW Branch
• 02 9467 7124