Some of the most popular painkillers in Australia will soon carry new warning labels to make it clear they can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has reviewed the safety of eight non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): diclofenac, naproxen, buprofen, celecoxib, etoricoxib, indomethacin, meloxicam and piroxicam.

After taking a range of submissions from industry experts and manufacturers, new labels will say: “Do not use for more than a few days at a time unless a doctor has told you to. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Excessive use of the drugs can be harmful and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke or liver damage.”

But the health authorities stopped short of making the drugs prescription-only.

“The addition of stronger warnings on the labels should be sufficient to alert and inform consumers about the risks associated with excessive use of those products,” the TGA said.

The TGA said anti-inflammatory creams do not carry the same heart and liver risk, and so their labels do not have to change.

The authorities also concluded that related anti-inflammatory drugs like ketoprofen and mefenamic acid likely carry the same heart and liver risks, so they will need new warning labels too.

The new labels should be in place by July 2016.