Can medicines do more harm than good if their pros and cons are not appropriately evaluated? An analysis by professionals from the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has presented that occasional detox could lead to uncontrolled progress of diseases and complications.
As part of the study, 1000 individuals were surveyed. The findings showed that people who conformed to occasional detox by ceasing to consume medicines for a while, were apparently at a greater risk of ill health. Specifically, those suffering from asthma, depression or asthma appeared to be at risk of fatal outcomes.
About one third of people who consumed medicines approved for someone else faced a greater risk for dangerous consequences. This is applicable to common colds and cough too. Another common occurrence was exposing children to adult drugs assuming that low doses will do no harm. It is a myth and could prove lethal, states the report.
“There is a lot of misunderstanding about how medicines work in your body. It’s important to get the right treatment and the right advice – which you can get from your local pharmacy, often without an appointment. Most pharmacies now have consultation areas where you can sit down and talk with the pharmacist without being overheard. We are especially concerned that people with long term conditions may feel it is right to ‘detox’ from time to time by taking a break from their prescribed medicines. For someone with, say, asthma, diabetes or depression, the result of doing so can be catastrophic,” elaborated Leyla Hannbeck, Head of Information at the NPA.
A quarter of people thought aspirin is a just a milder form of Ibubrofen, it is again a belief which may be potentially harmful for certain people. Almost 50% of individuals thought flu vaccination does not prohibit fever which seems to be a false notion. Apparently, most of the people consumed medicines that passed the expiry date. Experts believe that drugs become increasingly inefficient when used after the expiry phase.
Leyla concluded that conversing with the pharmacists extensively about the medicine and analyzing its benefits and risks will help utilize the drug to the optimum while avoiding inappropriate use. The findings were published at the start of Ask Your Pharmacist Week.