November 7, 2019 at 3:17 pm

Medical Ghostwriting Puts Doctors & Patients At Risk

If the drug information doctors read in medical journals is ghostwritten and misleading, patients are likely put at unnecessary risks.
“In an age of distortion, propaganda and fake news, medical literature might seem to be a safe space for honest scientific inquiry, with no room for bias or spin. It isn’t so. Court proceedings, investigations and whistleblower accounts have revealed a long history of drug companies manipulating the literature to promote their drugs or disparage rival products–with the aim of getting doctors to prescribe more of their meds.”
Get the full story here.
November 5, 2019 at 1:43 pm

New Facebook App May Lead to Overtreatment

The risk of suffering adverse drug effects are increased when consumers take more than one prescription and/or take unnecessary prescriptions. It appears the new Facebook app may increase both.
According to the Lown Insitute, “Users should be wary of the new Facebook tool, not only because of the risk of data misuse, but also about the potential for physical and financial harm from overscreening.”
Get the full story here.
November 4, 2019 at 10:14 am

Unjustified Prescribing to Older Patients

A new study finds the elderly are often wrongly prescribed sedatives as “chemical restraints.” Only 10% of the cases in which the elderly were prescribed these drugs were found to be medically justified.
Read the full story here.