General information
This guide is based on publicly available information from official sources, including the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Services Australia, Healthdirect and other Australian Government health and pharmacy bodies. It is general information, not personal medical advice, and may change over time. With any medicine, always read the label and use only as directed, and if symptoms persist see your doctor or health care professional. Check anything that affects you with your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
The Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 is the national service for a suspected poisoning, an accidental swallowing, or a medicine taken the wrong way. It is answered around the clock, from anywhere in Australia, by one of four regional centres. Call 000 first in a life-threatening emergency. For an everyday question about a medicine, your community pharmacist is the right first call during pharmacy hours.
Healthdirect advises calling 000 and asking for an ambulance if the person is unconscious, has stopped breathing, is having a seizure, or is showing a severe allergic reaction (swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing). Where the person is conscious and breathing but a poisoning or a wrong dose is suspected, the poisons centres are reached on 13 11 26.
What the Poisons Information Centre is
The Poisons Information Centre runs one national number, 13 11 26, available 24 hours a day, every day, everywhere in Australia. Your call goes to one of four centres, in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia, where a Specialist in Poisons Information answers it. According to the NSW Poisons Information Centre, this specialist is a pharmacist or medical scientist. They work from detailed clinical databases covering prescription and over-the-counter medicines, household chemicals, plants, bites and stings, and industrial substances (Poisons Information Centre, health.gov.au).
When people call the Poisons Information Centre
According to Healthdirect and the poisons centres, there are several situations where 13 11 26 is the number to call: someone has taken more of a medicine than the label or prescription allows; a child has got hold of a medicine, a household chemical, or a plant; a medicine has been taken twice by mistake, or two medicines have been confused; a chemical has splashed into the eyes or onto the skin; or a bite or sting is a worry. It is also the line for when you are caring for someone who has taken too much of a medicine and is conscious and breathing. If you think someone has taken too much of an opioid medicine, the advice is to call 000. In each case the specialist asks structured questions and, based on the substance and the amount, advises whether to watch at home, see a general practitioner (GP), go to an emergency department, or call 000 (Poisoning, healthdirect).
When to call your pharmacist
For the everyday questions that are not emergencies, your community pharmacist is the fastest source of good advice during pharmacy hours: a confusing label, a dose you have missed, a new side effect you want to check, whether an over-the-counter product is safe with your regular medicines, a brand-versus-generic question, or travelling overseas with your medicine. Pharmacists do not usually charge for general medicine advice, whether you walk in, phone, or message through the pharmacy's app. For a non-urgent health question outside pharmacy hours, Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 has a registered nurse available around the clock.
| Situation | The right call |
|---|---|
| Unconscious, not breathing, a seizure, or a severe allergic reaction | 000 |
| Too much of a medicine taken, an accidental swallowing, a double dose, a plant or chemical exposure | 13 11 26, 24/7 |
| A label question, a missed dose, a side-effect check, an over-the-counter interaction | Your community pharmacist, pharmacy hours |
| A non-urgent health question outside pharmacy hours | Healthdirect 1800 022 222, 24/7 |
emergency and poisons routing, healthdirect.gov.au.
What to have ready when you call
Healthdirect advises that there is no need to wait until symptoms appear before calling, and having a few details to hand helps the specialist help you faster.
- The substance, from the label: the brand or generic name, the strength, and the form.
- The quantity taken, even as a best estimate; counting the missing tablets helps.
- The time it was taken, even roughly, for example within the last hour.
- The person: their age, rough weight, health conditions, and any other medicines.
- Any symptoms since, including nausea, drowsiness, agitation, a rash, or pain.
- Anything already done, for example a drink given or advice already sought.
If a household chemical is involved, keep the container with its label while you call, since the specialist may ask about the ingredients. For a plant, having the plant or a clear photo of it nearby can help you describe it to the specialist.
Talk to someone now
Free advice for questions about a medicine, dose, or interaction.
Frequently asked questions
According to the Victorian Government's Better Health Channel, calls from landlines are free and calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate.
