The Little Blue Book

PHARMACEUTICALS AND WORKPLACE RISK There is a level of risk when using any drug, including prescription and over-the-counter medications. Drug reactions vary from person to person. If you are taking a drug you have not used before, you may not be aware of the potential side- effects to the medication and how it may alter judgment and clear- thinking and how it may impact upon your abilities to perform routine and complex tasks. Some can cause drowsiness and hinder your ability to drive or operate machinery by reducing alertness, ability to ‘track’ and co-ordination. It is important to question your doctor about potential side-effects of any prescribed medication, and for you to provide full information as to other drugs that you may be using. This is especially important when taking prescription drugs while at work. The effect of prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines (such as Xanax), commonly prescribed to reduce stress and anxiety, can trigger reactions like confusion, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, drowsiness and tremors. Long-term use can be unpredictable and dangerous, especially when mixed with other drugs (including alcohol), and can lead to memory loss, depression, irritability, paranoia, personality change and weight gain, as well as damaging organs and increasing risk of deep-vein-thrombosis and stroke. The truth is there are side-effects in one form or another – some mild, some merely undesirable, some dangerous - to nearly all medications, both over-the-counter and prescription. In 2013, 4.7% of people aged 14 years or older, or one- in-twenty, used a pharmaceutical drug for non-medical purposes (a rise of 12% since 2010). www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs) RECOGNISING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER DISORDERS 94