Problems with prescription drugs

[sciencedude]

Hello, I am looking for help about the subject of prescription drugs. I am researching the adverse effects of these medicines and the health problems they present. Also I am seaching to find if/how natural drugs are better in treating health problems. Any information would greatly help.
Thanks,
Tom

[pharmacist]

Blimey!!! That is probably the biggest research project anyone has ever undertaken! Get hold of a copy of the BNF (you can buy an old one cheaply on ebay) and check out firstly the vast number of drugs available on prescription and then the fact that each one has tens, if not hundreds of potential side effects. I think you should pick up on a few examples of drugs which have been withdrawn in the past to narrow things down and this always makes interesting reading, e.g. thalidomide. And more recently drugs like rofecoxib (Vioxx). The recent cancer drug trial in health human males that is in the paper may also be of interest. When talking about the adverse effects I also think that you should balance the arguement with positive effects. These far outweigh the negatives. For instance, life expectancy has risen due to many factors, one of which is the use of drugs to treat hypertension and cholesterol to minimise coronary events. Also, take a look at antobiotics-before these were invented there was something like a 40% mortality rate from bacterial infections. And vaccines-polio has been eradicated from this country due to successful immunisation.

In terms of alternative products your focus should lie with the fact that there is not a great deal of evidence around to support their use. Prescription drugs undergo stringent testing and clinical trials before being launched. We know they work and in general the benefit outweighs the risk of taking them. This is not always the case with alternative products. This is perhaps due to the fact that these compounds already exist and drugs companys cannot patent them to make more money so there is no financial value in the trials.

I hope this helps. I do think you should get a BNF off ebay though. Good luck.

[peagreen]

BNF will be your bible. but you can access it free of charge online, which might be bettera s this is constantly updated as the BNF is released twice a year I think, I don't know we just get given them at work.

are you seriously looking at all prescription drugs? have you cleared years and years of your life?

i agree with pharamcist, the COX I / II would be interesting. Also you might like to look at the NICE guidelines as a reference point.

however in the case of antibiotic therapy I think its fair enought o fous on the advantages - we've come a long way but it wouldn't be fair to talk about that without discussing the emergence of resistance due to factors such as overprescribing/inappropriate prescribing

keep us posted, i'm a medic and i'd be interested to see what you come up with.