Review Prescribing 90 : drugs more dangerous than useful

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Published the 26.01.2018 at 16: 30
Update the 26.01.2018 at 18h52

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Precriremédicaments unnecessary

This month, it is still difficult to prove him wrong, when the journal goes to war on the brand marketing of old products that are no longer prescribed by doctors, either because of their inefficiency, but because they are not paid.
Prescribe, denounced the tenet of business of “ranges umbrellas”, which is to sell under a brand name common, in a variety of specialties containing different active materials, a blend that exposed them to dangers different. Follows the name of eight brands : Actifed, Advil, Clarix, Doli, Fluimucil, Humex and Vicks

Prescribe adds :

“This marketing strategy, based on the recognition of a brand, exposes to confusion between the drugs and the ignorance of some risks, such as drug-drug interactions. The risks of error are compounded by the similarities between specialties, with focus in large and bold brand. “
This is not fake… Some people will say that most of these drugs do not cost nothing more to the national solidarity since they are not paid. It is an attitude a bit simplistic, which is intended to make people believe that the drug is not paid for is a sweet harmless. Gold a medicine, reimbursed or not, is still a drug and it should be treated as such. Especially if it takes several that can interact between them or with the treatments prescribed by the doctor.
And the February issue of Prescribing drives the nail with the highly anticipated balance sheet of the drugs that are to spread care and to replace it with better options : 90 ” in flagrant cases of drugs more dangerous than useful “, yet allowed in France or in the european Union.
A balance sheet to read : to Prescribe … And to discuss with your doctor if you are taking any of the medicines in the list.

You have said “profit-risk” ?

The magazine uses to judge these drugs this very ugly and incomprehensible expression for ” non-professionals “, the literal translation of the English, who speaks of ” risk-benefit “. This has nothing to do with the profits of the pharmaceutical industry and would have rather deserved another translation : “advantages-disadvantages “. Because all of the dilemma for the physician should summarize, in a first time, by these words : what Is the use of a drug brings more benefits than disadvantages ?
Then, and only then, comes the comparison between old and new drugs, to encrypt, both financially and medically the benefits of a prescription new. Knowing that it is difficult for a doctor not to prescribe the one that is doing “a little better” in the name of money ; starting from the principle that for the sick and the bill is always the same : zero !

The doctors expect the public authorities to the real instructions, not always clear when it comes to innovative medicines.