Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines that treat infections caused by bacteria. They do not work for viral infections. Antibiotics are sometimes called antibacterials.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are medicines used to help treat certain mental illnesses. These include depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotic medicines are used to treat some of the signs of psychosis and can help ease your symptoms and improve the quality of your life. 

Biologics (TNF inhibitors)

Biological therapies (biologics) include tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. They are used to treat some types of autoimmune conditions when standard treatments have been unsuccessful.

Blood-thinning medicines

Blood-thinning medicines (also called anticoagulants) are used to prevent or treat blood clots. They do not actually thin your blood, rather they disrupt the process of your blood clotting.

Dietary supplements

Dietary supplements are products designed to give you nutrients that might be missing from your diet. They can also be used to help to manage or treat a health condition. They may also be called food supplements or nutritional supplements.

How to take medicines

Learn more about medicines commonly used in Aotearoa New Zealand. This includes important information to help you make good decisions about taking your medicine.

Medicinal cannabis (marijuana)

Medicinal cannabis is used to relieve symptoms of a medical condition. It is available in many forms including tablets, mouth spray, drops, gel or dried flower that can be made into a tea or inhaled using a special device (vaporiser).

Pain relief medicines for adults

There are 3 main types of pain-relief medicines for adults to use for short-term pain. These are paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioid pain relievers.

Pharmacists

Pharmacists dispense medicines that your healthcare provider has prescribed. They also provide information and advice about medicines and your health.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)

PrEP is a pill that is used to reduce your risk of getting HIV. When PrEP is taken correctly it reduces the risk of getting HIV by over 90%. It does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections.

Prescriptions

Find out about prescription charges, the prescription subsidy scheme and charges for other medicines. You can also take steps to make sure you have all your prescription needs covered if you are spending time away from home.

Probiotics

Probiotics are living bacteria (microorganisms) that can help improve your health. You can include them by regularly having certain foods and drinks or taking a probiotic supplement that is right for you.

Returning unused or expired medicines

Holding onto medicines you do not need can lead to them being accidentally taken, or misused.

Safe sharps disposal

'Sharps' is a medical term for devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin, such as needles.

Serotonin syndrome

Serotonin is a chemical found in your brain. Serotonin syndrome happens when the levels of serotonin in your brain get too high.

Side effects of medicines

All medicines can cause side effects but not everyone gets them. Most are mild and can go away as your body gets used to the medicine. Some side effects can be more serious, such as allergic reactions.

Steroid injections

Steroid injections can sometimes be used to treat pain in your joints and soft tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments). This includes pain caused by inflammation. They are also used for some nerve and tendon problems.

Therapeutic drug monitoring

Therapeutic drug monitoring measures the level of a medicine in your blood. It is done to make sure the level is high enough to treat your illness, but not so high it causes side effects. The range between these levels is the therapeutic range.