Growing up in Bangladesh, Qanita Ahmed often witnessed friends and relatives sharing medications with each other. According to Mrs Ahmed, it was common practice for people in her community to save money by borrowing unused or leftover medicines from others, such as pain relief tablets or antibiotics.
''People think if it works for me then it will work for her or him too, especially if they find their symptoms are similar. There is a myth that even for a cold and the flu, you should take antibiotics'' she said.
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It wasn't until she began studying to become a pharmacist that Ms Ahmed said she learned about the risks of sharing over-the-counter and prescription medications.
''When I started studying, a new world really opened to me - It's dangerous and it's unsafe, which is completely ignored in my country'' said Ms Ahmed.
After migrating to Australia in 2004 with her family, Ms Ahmed joined the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District as a cultural support worker to help other new and emerging migrants better navigate Australia's healthcare system and is involved in this year's Multicultural Health Week campaign. The theme for this year is health literacy and safe use of medicines in the multicultural communities of NSW.
''We're highlighting the importance of knowing what your medicine is for and how to take it safely - it's also really important that people understand what the active ingredient in their medicine is'' said Lisa Woodland from New South Wales Multicultural Health.
The campaign includes a social media video, available in seven languages, among them Greek, which explains why medications can have different brand names but still contain the same active ingredient.
It may be dangerous to your loved ones if they take your medicine Source: NSW Health
''We do have evidence that people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities are at higher risk of making mistakes with their medicines and this has really serious consequences, not only for their health conditions but they may also end up in hospital because of those complications'' said Mrs Woodland.
Data from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia shows that about 250,000 people are admitted to hospital for medication-related problems every year in Australia. 70% of those cases are due to the use of multiple medications at the same.
Do not avoid or delay treatment for ongoing medical conditions because of COVID-19 Source: SBS
Parisa Aslani, a professor in medicines use optimisation at The University of Sydney, said people with language barriers often misunderstand medication names and how to correctly use a prescribed medication.
''They're not lollies, they are serious drugs and it's important that people are aware of why they're taking a medicine, what's it going to do for them, how will they know if it's working and what to do if there's a problem.''
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Ms Aslani noted online misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic has also sparked demand for unproven treatments.
''People are getting scared and they're thinking, if I am going to get some medication, where am I going to get it from to prevent against getting this infection? But it's a viral infection, currently there's no cure for it'' she said.
She's urged people to speak to a doctor before taking any new medications, and for people who take regular prescription medication to keep one month's supply at home, in case they're ordered to self-isolate.
You can find the video in Greek below:
