Many Commonly Used Drugs Are Useless

Some medications are life saving. I am so thankful for the trusty med that tames my atrial fibrillation. Many meds are helpful -- demonstrating superiority to placebo in ways that are clearly clinically significant and life enhancing. But many (perhaps most) drugs are probably no more than very expensive placebos. Patients get prescriptions from doctors when their symptoms are most severe and improve with time and positive expectation, not because the med is really effective. Doctors and patients need independent, objective information on drug efficacy and risks. The multibillion dollar pharma marketing machine can turn even the most useless and harmful drugs into financial blockbusters. Doctors and patients need independent, objective information on drug efficacy and risks. This is the first of a series of blogs aimed at setting the record straight. Dick Bijl is President of the International Society Of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), a wonderful organization representing 53 national drug bulletins, each charged with presenting the best available data on the pluses and minuses of different medications. Drug bulletins are a source of truth to help patients and doctors see through the fudged misinformation generated by ubiquitous Pharma propaganda. Dick writes: "Let's use the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as a typical example of why and how medication use has become so excessive." Elderly men often experience problems urinating -- weak or intermittent urinar...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news