With the Christmas season in full swing, many people will be socialising more than usual at this time of year. However, pharmacists are reminding members of the public to be aware of the dangers of mixing alcohol and medicines.

According to the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), drinking even a small amount of alcohol while taking medicines can have unpredictable effects, eg. it may make a medicine less effective or it may worsen the side-effects.

And this warning does not just apply to prescription medicines.

"Many over-the-counter medicines, such as cough and cold remedies, pain relievers, antihistamines and travel sickness pills, have the potential to interact negatively with alcohol," commented Caitriona O'Riordan, a pharmacist and IPU member.

Pharmacists are also reminding people that some medicines can make users drowsy, sleepy and lightheaded, and they can interfere with concentration and the ability to drive or operate machinery.

Drinking alcohol with these medicines can lead to major risks to safety, such as road traffic accidents or accidents in the workplace.

"We also need to remember that medicines containing alcohol can affect a person's blood alcohol concentration limits, so by drinking alcohol on top of taking medication, you could unconsciously put yourself over the legal limit for driving. Our advice is to always read the label and when in doubt, ask your pharmacist," Ms O'Riordan said.