How Do You Know Which Prescription Medications are Safe?
Too often, prescription medications that are already out in the market and approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are later withdrawn due to their serious side effects. Other issues that consumers encounter are the presence of counterfeit products, medications with “black box” warnings, and over-prescription.
Major Issues in the Use of Prescription Drugs
Over-Prescription
According to the Office for National Statistics, the steep rise in medications being prescribed to patients is among the major factors behind the increasing healthcare activity. Based on the data provided by the NHS, there are 886 million prescriptions dispensed per year in Britain, which costs the government a total of £8.5billion. They added that many doctors are dolling out pills to patients who don’t really need them, which leads to potential health problems and wasted public money.
Another problem is that people think that the over-prescribed medications are safe to use. But many drugs that are commonly found in the medicine cabinets of most households also have potential health risks. According to the NHS, painkillers such as ibuprofen can cause a number of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, raised blood pressure, and gastritis. Also, taking this drug for a long period of time can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. Another example of an overprescribed drug is the stimulant medication for attention-deficit disorder. These are often used by students because they believe it can help them study and perform better in the exam. However, such kind of prescription medications has been known to cause sudden death.
Safety
Wise consumers never forget to check whether the health product or medication they are purchasing has been approved by the MHRA. But then, many of these drugs are later withdrawn after clinical trials suggest they are too dangerous. Other medications which were once available as over-the-counter products are being recalled and are brought back to the market with a “black box” warning. These are medications that are designed for a specific illness but have been found to cause suicidal thoughts.
Counterfeit Medications
Another concern about prescription medications is the prevalence of counterfeit drugs. It is really disturbing to know that there are people who manufacture fake products that deprive sick people from recovering from their physical or mental condition. Many counterfeit medications can cause high blood pressure as well as kidney and liver problems. Good thing, many drug companies are implementing new technologies and strategies to protect their products against counterfeiting, such as the use of holographic films that prevent tampering or duplication of product packaging, safety seals and warnings, and so on.
Questions to Ask Yourself before Taking Prescription Drugs
There’s no doubt that medications are crucial to the prevention and elimination of a disease. But with the increasing issues on these health products, it is important that you carefully assess whether the medications you’re taking are safe or not. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before buying one:
Is this medication necessary or not? Some people take medications without seeking advice from their doctors. Maybe you want to take a medication to lose weight, relieve headache, booze your energy levels, or improve your memory. But to achieve all these goals, is medication necessary?
Are there safer options? If taking medication is inevitable, try to look for safer options. In the case of constipation for example, instead of taking pharmaceutical laxatives, why not drink senna tea or coconut water? Exercising, drinking more fluids and eating prunes, legumes and beans also improve bowel movement. For headache, why not use acupressure, massage or herbs such as peppermint, rosemary, oregano, or lemon balm? Instead of taking anti-stress pills, why not sign up for a yoga class or try aromatherapy? You will be surprised to know that there are a lot of safer and sometimes, more effective therapies for most of our health concerns than taking prescription drugs.
Can it cause you to become dependent? As much as possible, you want to avoid the medications which have “mind-altering” addictive substances. Many medications for mental illness promote drug dependency, even the widely available sleeping pills. Ask your doctor whether the drug you’re taking has an addictive substance. You really don’t want to be tied to taking a drug for the rest of your life just to feel well.
How long will you take the medication? Some medications don’t have serious side effects unless taken for long-term. Again, ask your doctor if it is necessary to take a medication for a long period of time. If yes, ask if there are safer alternatives.
Choosing the medication that’s right for you is probably the job of your healthcare provider. But you also need to take part of the responsibility. After all, it is your body that will benefit or will be put at risk by taking such drug. So before taking any medication, seek professional advice, ask for a second opinion if necessary, and don’t forget to look for safer alternatives first. A little research will certainly help you make a good decision.
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