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Brand Name: the name given to the medicine by the company that makes the medicine. There may be more than one brand name if more than one company makes the medicine.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Reading the CMI does not take the place of counselling by a health professional. Always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about all aspects of your medicines, including why you are taking them and what benefits / risks you can expect.
The CMI for your medicine that is on this web site is the most up-to-date version available. It may differ from a CMI that you previously received from your doctor or pharmacist, or in your pack of medicine.

This web site does not contain all CMIs for medicines sold in Australia and not all medicines have a CMI available for them. If you do not find a CMI for your medicine on this page, contact the pharmaceutical company who makes the medicine or talk to your doctor or pharmacist. The information on this web site is intended for use in Australia only.

Product name	Date released
APO-Valaciclovir (herpes zoster) 02 Aug 2018   Valaciclovir is used to treat: shingles (herpes zoster) shingles affecting the eye region (ophthalmic zoster) cold sores (herpes labialis) It belongs to a group of medicines called antivirals. How it works Valaciclovir works by stopping the multiplication of the virus which causes shingles and cold sores. It can reduce the length and severity of an outbreak, as well as reduce the duration of pain associated with shingles and cold sores. It is important that treatment for shingles is started within the first three days of the shingles attack. For the treatment of cold sores, the tablets should be taken at the earliest symptom of a cold sore (e.g. tingling, itching, or burning). Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. Valaciclovir is more effective in patients 50 years of age and older. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. This medicine is not addictive. There is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine in children. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Valsartan 17 Jul 2019   The name of your medicine is APO-Valsartan. It contains the active ingredient valsartan. This medicine belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin II receptor antagonists (AIIRAs). It is used to treat: Hypertension This medicine is used to control high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Everyone has blood pressure. This pressure helps get your blood around your body. Your blood pressure may be different at different times of the day, depending on how busy or worried you are. You have hypertension when your blood pressure stays higher than is needed, even when you are calm and relaxed. There are usually no symptoms of hypertension. The only way of knowing that you have it is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and blood vessels. If it continues for a long time, it can damage the blood vessels in the brain, heart and kidneys. This can lead to stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks. Lowering your blood pressure reduces the chance of these disorders happening. Heart Failure This medicine is used to treat heart failure. Heart failure means that the heart muscle cannot pump blood strongly enough to supply all the blood needed throughout the body. Heart failure is not the same as heart attack and does not mean that the heart stops. This medicine helps the heart to function better and relieves some of the symptoms of heart failure. Heart Attack This medicine is also used to treat people after they have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction), to reduce the risk of further heart damage and reduce further heart problems. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why valsartan has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason. This medicine is not addictive. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. Use in children There is not enough information to recommend the use of valsartan in children (below 18 years of age). This medicine should not be used in children. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Valsartan HCTZ 18 May 2016   The name of your medicine is APO-Valsartan HCTZ. It contains the active ingredients valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide. It is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and blood vessels. If it continues for a long time, it can damage the blood vessels in the brain, heart and kidneys. This can lead to stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks. Lowering your blood pressure reduces the chance of these disorders happening. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. How it works Valsartan HCTZ reduces blood pressure in two different ways. 1.Valsartan blocks the effect of angiotensin II, which is a substance in the body that tightens blood vessels and makes your blood pressure rise. When the effect of angiotensin II is blocked, your blood vessels relax and your blood pressure goes down. 2.Hydrochlorothiazide helps reduce the amount of excess fluid in the body by increasing the amount of urine produced. This helps lower your blood pressure. There is no evidence that this medicine is addictive. Use in children This medicine should not be used in children. Safety and effectiveness in children have not been established. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Venlafaxine XR 24 Jan 2020   Venlafaxine is used to treat major depression, and to prevent it coming back. It is also used to treat panic attacks and anxiety. Venlafaxine belongs to a group of medicines called serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Venlafaxine increases the level of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain, helping to restore your feeling of wellness. Depression may cause emotional and physical symptoms such as feeling low, poor appetite or lack of energy. Excessive anxiety may cause you to feel constantly and uncontrollably worried and distressed. It may also make you feel irritable, and cause difficulty in thinking and sleeping. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed Venlafaxine XR for another reason. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. This medicine is not addictive. There is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine for children under the age of 18 years. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Ziprasidone 05 May 2020   The name of your medicine is APO- Ziprasidone. It contains the active ingredient ziprasidone (as ziprasidone hydrochloride). It is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Ziprasidone belongs to a group of medicines called atypical antipsychotics/neuroleptics. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason. Ziprasidone is available only with a doctor's prescription. Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental illness. It varies from person to person, but can involve: hallucinations: the person sees, hears, feels, smells or tastes something that is not actually there; most commonly a person may hear voices delusions: a delusion is a false belief held by a person which is not held by others of the same cultural background disturbed or disorganised thinking poor memory and concentration loss of emotion and expression loss of motivation and energy difficulty interacting with others, leading to social isolation. Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder is a mental illness where a person cycles through: 'manic' phases - with symptoms such as over-activity, irritability, elation and limited need for sleep 'depressive' phases - with symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, difficulty making decisions, difficulty concentrating and hopelessness. How it works Schizophrenia Researchers do not know exactly what causes schizophrenia, but they do know that many people with it have high levels of some brain chemicals - including dopamine and serotonin. Ziprasidone is thought to work by helping to correct the imbalance of these chemicals, in turn, reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Research has found ziprasidone can help reduce: hallucinations delusions confused thoughts social withdrawal lack of motivation Ziprasidone does not cure schizophrenia, but it can help manage the symptoms and help prevent further episodes. Taking antipsychotic/neuroleptic medicines like ziprasidone can also allow you to try psychological therapies when recommended by your doctor. These may further help you manage your schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder Research has shown that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain in patients with bipolar disorder. Ziprasidone does not cure bipolar disorder. It is used as a short-term treatment for the manic phases. It is not used to treat the depressive phases of bipolar disorder. Controlling the manic phase of bipolar disorder with medicine can also allow you to try psychological therapies when recommended by your doctor. Elderly patients Ziprasidone is not recommended for the treatment of elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis. It should be used with caution in elderly patients with risk factors for stroke. Use in children Ziprasidone is not recommended for children under 18 years of age as there is not enough information on its effects in this age group. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Zoledronic Acid 15 Oct 2018   Zoledronic acid is used to lower the amount of calcium in the blood when it becomes too high, as may happen in some forms of cancer. Some cancers can speed up normal changes in bone so that the amount of calcium released from the bones into the blood is increased. Zoledronic acid is also used to slow down the spread of cancers in bone, helping to prevent changes to the bones that may cause them to weaken. It is used in people with advanced cancer of the bone marrow (called multiple myeloma) and other advanced cancers that have spread to the bone. This medicine is used in addition to other standard cancer treatments. How it works Zoledronic acid belongs to a group of medicines called bisphosphonates, which strongly bind to bone. These medicines slow down the rate of bone change and help to restore the amount of calcium in the blood to normal. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. This medicine is not addictive. There is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine in children. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Zolmitriptan 14 Oct 2020   Zolmitriptan is used to relieve migraine headaches. It belongs to a group of medicines called serotonin agonists. How it works Migraine is thought to be caused by the widening of certain blood vessels in the brain. Zolmitriptan narrows the blood vessels to help ease the migraine. Some people have a warning stage called 'aura' before the migraine headache starts. Aura can include numbness in the face or down one arm, mood changes, or problems with eyesight such as seeing blank spots or flashing lights. Zolmitriptan can be used in migraine with or without aura. It should not be used to treat types of migraine called 'hemiplegic' or 'basilar' migraine. Zolmitriptan does not work in headaches that are not migraine. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. This medicine is not addictive. There is no experience of zolmitriptan use in children under 12 years of age. One study in children aged 12 to 17 years indicated no benefit with zolmitriptan treatment. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Zolpidem 28 May 2020   The name of your medicine is APO-Zolpidem. It contains the active ingredient, zolpidem tartrate. Zolpidem is used to treat people with sleeping difficulties (insomnia). It works by binding to special sites in the brain which produce sleep. Zolpidem must not be used for more than 4 weeks at a time. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. Use in children Children or adolescents under the age of 18 must not take this medicine. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Zonisamide 13 Aug 2019   The name of your medicine is APO-Zonisamide capsules. It contains the active ingredient zonisamide. It is used to treat certain types of epilepsy in adults. Zonisamide may be used: on its own to treat seizures in adults with other antiepileptic medicines to treat seizure in adults Epilepsy is caused by a disruption in the electrical activity of the brain. The abnormal electrical impulses occur due to altered levels of some chemicals in the brain. Zonisamide can control brain chemicals which send signals to nerves so that seizures do not happen. Zonisamide is used in partial seizure that affects only one part of brain, with or without generalized seizures that may affect the whole brain. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. There is no evidence that this medicine is addictive. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. Use in children The safety and efficacy of zonisamide in children under 18 years of age have not been established. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print
APO-Zopiclone 11 Jun 2019   Zopiclone is used to help people with sleeping difficulties (insomnia). It helps you fall asleep and reduces the number of times you wake up during the night. It is used for short term treatment (2-4 weeks) of insomnia. It is not recommended for use for more than 4 weeks at a time. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. This medicine should not be used in children. The safe and effective dose of this medicine in children and adolescents under 18 years of age has not been established. read more Download PDF Standard Print Download PDF Large Print

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