Welcome to the Ask about Medicines pages of the PiF website
Ask about Medicines was a campaign which ran from 2003-2009. Its mission has been to achieve lasting change by working with partners to encourage better communication between people and their health professionals and change expectations so that asking questions about medicines becomes the norm. You can learn more about the campaign and what has been achieved by visiting the About AAM page.
Ask About Medicines closed in 2009, but after six years of
activities and campaigns it had created a wealth of resources to focused
on improving communication about medicines. These resources and
materials were handed over to the Patient Information Forum and are
available for you to use and adapt on the Resources page. You are welcome to download and adapt these materials.
Central to the campaign have been the Ask About Medicines
Questions, questions that people might like to consider asking a health
professional when they are given a medicine. They are:
- WHAT does this medicine do?
- WHY is it important that I take this medicine? Are there any other treatment options?
- WHEN and how should I take it?
- HOW long should I take it for?
- WHAT should I be aware of when taking this medicine? (eg. possible risks, side effects, taking medicines with certain foods/drinks/activities, what to do if I don't feel well while I am taking it, how to store it safely etc)
- WHERE can I go for more information?
Examples of activities undertaken as part of our annual Ask About Medicines Weeks can be found in the section called AAM Weeks.
Page last edited: 24 June 2011
