How to Read a Medicine Label and Blister Pack

Most people glance at a medicine box, find the name, and put it in a drawer. The rest of the printing is not decoration — it is a standardised set of information required under Australian labelling rules, and each element answers a specific question.

The name, and why there are usually two

Australian packs carry the active ingredient name prominently, alongside any brand name. This dual presentation exists to reduce a common and dangerous error: taking two products that contain the same ingredient under different brand names.

If you take several medicines, the ingredient name is the one to note down, not the brand.

The strength

The strength appears as a number and a unit, usually milligrams, and describes how much active ingredient is in each tablet or capsule. It is part of the product identity, not a suggestion about how much to take.

How much of a medicine to take, and how often, is a decision for your prescriber and is set out on the dispensing label your pharmacist applies. If the strength on the box and the instruction on the dispensing label seem to conflict, do not attempt to reconcile them yourself — ask the pharmacy.

The AUST R or AUST L number

This is the marker of Australian registration. Products assessed and approved by the TGA carry an AUST R number (registered) or AUST L number (listed), tied to an entry on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

Prescription medicines carry an AUST R number. Its absence on a pack presented as an Australian product is a serious flag, and a pharmacist can check any number against the ARTG for you.

The sponsor details

Australian packs name the sponsor — the company legally responsible for the product in Australia — with an address. This is who the TGA holds accountable, and who initiates a recall if one is needed. A pack with no identifiable Australian sponsor has no one standing behind it here.

Batch number and expiry date

Two of the most practically useful items on any pack:

• The batch (or lot) number identifies the specific production run. If a manufacturing problem is found, recalls are issued by batch. Keeping the packaging means you can check whether yours is affected.
• The expiry date is usually printed as a month and year, and means the end of that month. Beyond it, the manufacturer no longer guarantees the stated content or stability.

On a blister pack these are typically embossed or printed on the foil edge or the flap, and should match the outer carton. Mismatched, missing or repeated batch numbers across a pack are a strong warning sign.

Storage instructions

Nearly every pack carries a storage line — commonly to store below 25°C or 30°C, in the original packaging, and away from moisture and direct light. These conditions are not generic advice; they reflect the stability testing the product went through. This matters more in Australia than in cooler climates, and is covered in more detail in a separate article.

The dispensing label

For a prescription medicine, the pharmacy adds its own label with your name, the prescriber's name, the date, the instructions for use, the quantity and any repeats, and often cautionary advisory labels — such as warnings about alcohol or drowsiness.

Where the dispensing label and the manufacturer's carton differ in emphasis, the dispensing label reflects what your prescriber decided for you specifically. Do not remove it or transfer tablets into an unlabelled container.

The Consumer Medicine Information leaflet

Inside the carton is the CMI, written for patients rather than clinicians. It covers what the medicine is for, who should not take it, interactions, side effects, storage and what to do if something goes wrong. It is worth reading once properly rather than skimming when a problem arises. Your pharmacist can print a CMI if the leaflet is missing, and Healthdirect Australia and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care publish accessible medicine information as well.

Reading a blister pack specifically

• Check that the foil is intact and unpunctured, with no partially opened cavities.
• Confirm the ingredient name, strength, batch number and expiry appear on the foil, and match the carton.
• Look for even, consistent tablets — variation in colour, size or surface within one sheet is a flag.
• Be wary of a blister sheet that has been cut down from a larger sheet, or one supplied loose without a carton or leaflet.
• Keep tablets in the blister until they are used. The foil is part of the product's protection against moisture and light.

For prescription-only medicines specifically

Sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil and dapoxetine are Schedule 4 prescription-only medicines in Australia and require a valid prescription from a registered Australian prescriber. That classification appears on the pack. Nitrate medicines are an absolute contraindication with this class, caution applies with alpha-blockers and in significant cardiovascular disease, and chest pain, an erection lasting over four hours, or sudden vision or hearing loss require urgent medical attention.

If anything on a pack is unclear, illegible or inconsistent, take it to a pharmacist rather than guessing. Checking a pack is a two-minute conversation they have every day.

This article is general information about medicine labelling, not medical advice. Follow the instructions on your dispensing label and speak with your doctor or pharmacist if anything is unclear.