Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the Guardian
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Side-effects of drugs kill thousands
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,1252321,00.html
Sarah Boseley Friday July 2, 2004 The Guardian
More than 10,000 people a year may die from the side-
effects of medicines prescribed by their doctors and most
of those deaths are unnecessary, says a new study. The
study, published in the British Medical Journal today,
finds that one in 16 of all admissions to hospital is
caused by the side-effects of a drug. The cost to the NHS
of the mostly avoidable treatment of these patients is
estimated at £466m a year.
The researchers investigated the reasons why 18,820
patients were admitted to two hospitals in Merseyside
during a six-month period. They found that 1,225 were
suffering from an adverse drug reaction (ADR). Most
patients recovered, but 28 died.
The authors, Munir Pirmohamed, professor of clinical
pharmacology at Liverpool University, and colleagues, say
that their figures suggest that drug side-effects caused the
deaths of about 5,700 patients.
They say that at any one time "the equivalent of up to seven
800-bed hospitals may be occupied by patients admitted with
ADRs ... Measures are urgently needed to reduce the burden
on the NHS".
>Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the Guardian
>From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole)
>Date: 7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: <77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack Bowditch,
Qauck Moran, Quack Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and
all the *gang* should be trying to change, rather than
squawking and calling names, and trying to control This ng
with *partentially* harmful things.
People are dissatisfed with conventional medicine with
good reason.
Jan
>Side-effects of drugs kill thousands http://www.guardian.c- (http://www.guardian.c-/)
>o.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,1252321,00.html
>
>Sarah Boseley Friday July 2, 2004 The Guardian
>
>More than 10,000 people a year may die from the side-
>effects of medicines prescribed by their doctors and most
>of those deaths are unnecessary, says a new study. The
>study, published in the British Medical Journal today,
>finds that one in 16 of all admissions to hospital is
>caused by the side-effects of a drug. The cost to the NHS
>of the mostly avoidable treatment of these patients is
>estimated at £466m a year.
>
>The researchers investigated the reasons why 18,820
>patients were admitted to two hospitals in Merseyside
>during a six-month period. They found that 1,225 were
>suffering from an adverse drug reaction (ADR). Most
>patients recovered, but 28 died.
>
>The authors, Munir Pirmohamed, professor of clinical
>pharmacology at Liverpool University, and colleagues, say
>that their figures suggest that drug side-effects caused
>the deaths of about 5,700 patients.
>
>They say that at any one time "the equivalent of up to
>seven 800-bed hospitals may be occupied by patients
>admitted with ADRs ... Measures are urgently needed to
>reduce the burden on the NHS".
>
>
>
>
WARNINING!!!! --- ONLINE PHARMACIES CAN BE DANGEROUS TO
YOUR HEALTH
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2F-
MGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031776480752&-
path=!business&s=1037645507703
Sunday, July 4, 2004 A Hard Dose Customers of online
pharmacies are warned of scams involving fake or
harmful drugs
By M. Paul Jackson JOURNAL REPORTER
Kristi Vlahos, a pharmacist at the Jonestown Pharmacy in Winston-
Salem, is used to seeing scams come across her counter.
The last one, an advertisement faxed to her pharmacy,
advertised a birth-control patch. The patch, which is worn
on a patients' body, functions much like a birth-control
pill and can control a woman's ovulation cycle.
But if a patient orders the medication - available over the
Internet from an offshore drug retailer - the package
usually contains no medication, leaving patients tricked
into buying a worthless product, Vlahos said.
"You have to be absolutely positive" about ordering drugs
online, she said. "Anybody can make a Web site and send out
a bunch of spam."
Vlahos isn't the only person warning customers about online
drug scams.
As more and more consumers turn to the Internet to do their
shopping, a host of online pharmaceutical scams are leaving
more patients at risk of receiving possibly dangerous drugs,
officials say.
According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, drugs
bought online from other countries - including Argentina,
Spain, Thailand, Pakistan and Turkey - are more likely to
contain harmful substances or inadequate instructions than
those purchased in the United States or Canada. Last month,
the GAO released a study about online drug sales.
Kristi Vlahos' husband Ike, a co-owner of the pharmacy,
agreed. Internet scams "are all over the place," he said.
"It's a risk out there that people don't really realize."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has begun
sending informational fliers to drugstores, warning
customers that the drugs they purchase online might be fake
or have dangerous side effects. Vlahos received her warning
fliers about a month ago, she said.
Online pharmaceutical shopping is nothing new. Customers
began turning to the Internet for drugs in the late 1990s.
The service allows customers to shop virtually around the
clock and easily compare prices from multiple outlets.
Because online drugstores have less overhead, prices are
typically cheaper.
About 9 million people bought or refilled a drug
prescription over the Internet last year, according to
Manhattan Research, a health-care marketing research company
in New York. Overall, about 26 million people used the
Internet for drug information in 2003, more than double the
amount that did so in 2002, according to the company.
Some online-dedicated companies do charge less than the
national drug outlets' online service.
CVS.com, the drug retailer's online service, sells a 20-mg
bottle of Cialis for about $66 for 6 tablets - about $11
a pill. In contrast, Cutprice12.com, an online drug
retailer, sells the same drug for about $9
Similarly, Eckerd.com offers a 25-mg prescription of Vioxx,
a popular medication for arthritis, for about $268 for 100
pills. Cutprice12.com offers 120 pills for about $150,
according to the site.
Cutprice12.com, whose ads can frequently show up in a
consumer's e-mail inbox, does not require a prescription
from a doctor.
Under federal law, it is illegal to dispense prescription
drugs without a valid prescription and to ship drugs that
are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration
In the GAO study, federal officials ordered about 11
drugs from 68 Web sites, including overseas, U.S. and
Canadian sites.
About 24 national and 21 foreign Web sites did not require
prescriptions, and none of the foreign sites included
pharmacy labels instructing customers about proper use of
their medications, according to the agency. About six orders
were never even received despite prepayment.
"It's a 'buyer beware' situation," said David Work, the
executive director of the N.C. Board of Pharmacy, which
investigates cases of online drug fraud.
"As people get more and more comfortable on the Internet,
this kind of thing could increase,"he said. "I don't
think the public realizes how much they depend on
prescription drugs."
Others agreed. Mike Blankenship, a pharmacist at Andrews
Pharmacy in Winston-Salem, said that some consumers can be
tricked into ordering products that contain no medication,
such as a scam involving Lipitor, a drug for managing
cholesterol. For many patients, buying drugs online is
similar to using tobacco, Blankenship said. "They know it's
not the absolute best thing in the world, but they're using
it anyway."
To be sure, online-pharmacy companies do represent growing
competition for the traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacy.
Apart from lower prices, buying drugs online is also
convenient, especially for patients in rural areas who may
have limited access to pharmacies, said Erika Fishman, a
company senior analyst for Manhattan Research.
Online sales are increasing "because consumers are taking
advantage of international markets," Fishman said.
Ironically, those are the markets that seem to be scamming
customers the most. Joyce Tipton, the assistant director of
pharmacy for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center,
said that some online drugstores are legitimate, but she
warned consumers that many others are not.
"There's no guarantee they may be getting the real
drug," she said.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy maintains a
certified list of licensed pharmacies, called the Verified
Internet Pharmacies List, that legally sell drugs online.
That list is available on the association's Web site.
Work also suggested that the federal government begin
to punish shipping companies who willingly deliver
illegal drugs.
But if the online drugs are cheaper, can the industry expect
a halt to the practice? Work says no.
He acknowledged that shoppers can save money online, but
cautioned that the savings are not worth the risk.
"We're approaching this from a health and safety issue," he
said, "and in this case, it is definitely a safety issue."
M. Paul Jackson can be reached at 727-7473 or at
mjackson@wsjournal.com
hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) wrote in message
news:<77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>...
> Side-effects of drugs kill thousands http://www.guardian.- (http://www.guardian.-/)
> co.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,1252321,00.html
>
> Sarah Boseley Friday July 2, 2004 The Guardian
>
> More than 10,000 people a year may die from the side-
> effects of medicines prescribed by their doctors and most
> of those deaths are unnecessary, says a new study. The
> study, published in the British Medical Journal today,
> finds that one in 16 of all admissions to hospital is
> caused by the side-effects of a drug. The cost to the NHS
> of the mostly avoidable treatment of these patients is
> estimated at £466m a year.
>
> The researchers investigated the reasons why 18,820
> patients were admitted to two hospitals in Merseyside
> during a six-month period. They found that 1,225 were
> suffering from an adverse drug reaction (ADR). Most
> patients recovered, but 28 died.
>
> The authors, Munir Pirmohamed, professor of clinical
> pharmacology at Liverpool University, and colleagues, say
> that their figures suggest that drug side-effects caused
> the deaths of about 5,700 patients.
>
> They say that at any one time "the equivalent of up to
> seven 800-bed hospitals may be occupied by patients
> admitted with ADRs ... Measures are urgently needed to
> reduce the burden on the NHS".
jdrew63929@aol.com (Jan) wrote:
>>Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
>>Guardian From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) Date:
>>7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
>><77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
>
>This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack Bowditch,
>Qauck Moran, Quack Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and
>all the *gang* should be trying to change, rather than
>squawking and calling names, and trying to control This ng
>with *partentially* harmful things.
>
>People are dissatisfed with conventional medicine with
>good reason.
So, you've joined the National Patient Safety Foundation,
have you Jan? Or are you still doing nothing about it except
whine that nothing is being done?
http://www.npsf.org (http://www.npsf.org/)
<snip>
--
Peter Bowditch The Millenium Project
http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles The Green Light
http://www.ratbags.com/greenlight Quintessence of the Loon
http://www.ratbags.com/loon To email me use my first name
only at ratbags.com
"Jan" <jdrew63929@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040704032450.04124.00000883@mb-m15.aol.com...
> >Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
> >Guardian From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) Date:
> >7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
> ><77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
>
> This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack Bowditch,
> Qauck Moran,
Quack
> Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and all the *gang*
Uh-oh...Jan gave me an idea...
Official name change:
We are now officialy called the Truth Flock.
"M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t-July 4, 2004" <M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t
07-04-04@lymbercartel.com> wrote in message
news:sVVFc.9893$kz.2177638@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
>
> "Jan" <jdrew63929@aol.com> wrote in message news:20040704032450.04124.00000883@mb-
> m15.aol.com...
> > >Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
> > >Guardian From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) Date:
> > >7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
> > ><77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
> >
> > This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack
> > Bowditch, Qauck Moran,
> Quack
> > Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and all the *gang*
>
> Uh-oh...Jan gave me an idea...
>
> Official name change:
>
> We are now officialy called the Truth Flock.
That does have a ring to it!
Peter Bowditch <myfirstname@ratbags.com> wrote in message news:<15ife09bbgivpmcgksn8vgufr7n9ref1e8@4ax.com>...
> jdrew63929@aol.com (Jan) wrote:
>
> >>Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
> >>Guardian From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) Date:
> >>7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
> >><77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
> >
> >This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack
> >Bowditch, Qauck Moran, Quack Thorson, Quack Probert,
> >Quack Wright and all the *gang* should be trying to
> >change, rather than squawking and calling names, and
> >trying to control This ng with *partentially* harmful
> >things.
> >
> >People are dissatisfed with conventional medicine with
> >good reason.
>
> So, you've joined the National Patient Safety Foundation,
> have you Jan? Or are you still doing nothing about it
> except whine that nothing is being done?
I've asked her what she's been doing to change a health care
system she complains about all the time:
**************************
And Jan's postings have done *what* to improve all these
many needless deaths & mistakes?
Has she organized her many friends at the RV park &
mounted a campaign to reform health care? Why not? Is she
simply waiting for someone else to do it? Has she
recruited all the millions of supposedly outraged
citizens of the U.S. to demand that changes be made? Has
she used her economic clout by refusing to utilize
conventional medicine & its tools like pharmaceuticals?
Has she financed any educational programs to inform the
general public (not just those reading a limited interest
newsgroup on the 'net) about the EEEEVILS of mainstream
health care -- or is she content to wait for TV execs to
air such information when ratings need a boost? Has she
participated in any research projects aimed at reducing
medical mistakes? Where are her interviews with everyone
who was involved with the cases she repeatedly cites here
-- surely such information would be of value in her
quest? Has she done much more than call the efforts of
concientious health care providers part of a big
conspiracy & based on "ego"? Has she tapped into her
years of experience as a business owner to develop
answers to the problems of the business of health care,
which is tied inextricably to the practice of
conventional & alt. medicine?
I've read Jan's complaints about conventional health care, &
nobody denies there are mistakes made. Now, the next step is
for Jan to move to step two -- a solution. A mission
involves identifying a problem, followed by formulating a
plan to remedy the situation to reach the desired outcome &
doing what it takes to carry out the plan. A mission to help
others "regain their health" or to stop "needless deaths &
mistakes" falls way short if the only step taken is
complaining about a situation -- especially when the
complaining is selective & doesn't continually bemoan the
mistakes of alt. health care as well as the admission that
there are incidents of incompetence, greed, & misinformation
by both alt. & conventional medicine.
What *exactly* is Jan doing to change our health care
picture? What changes are being formulated as a result of
Jan's efforts? What is Jan's step 2? To let everyone else
brainstorm the solutions? To place the burden of changing
what she claims is evil on others while simply paying lip
service to her mission of helping people? To blame others
for progress she deems not fast enough while her
participation is self restricted to complaining?
Let's hear Jan's solutions. Let's hear how she has been
working to change the "piecemeal system at best" she
complains about. Let's hear her proposed policies &
procedures to reduce mistakes in ALL health care. Let's hear
her ideas for eliminating unethical practices in research,
health care facilities, & health insurance (which cannot be
disregarded in the U.S. health care system).
I'd actually look forward to hearing Jan's step 2.
Anyone with so much to say WRT a problem MUST be able to
come up with solutions. Mind you, not vague goals -- but
specific plans to follow & how to follow them --
including considerations like legalities, economics,
organization, etc.
Besides, it ought to be a piece of cake for someone who says
they are quoting God........
******************
Jan's answer is always the same -- deafening silence.
In article <R2WFc.22378$%_6.8246@attbi_s01>,
Coleah <coleah@pacifier.com> wrote:
>
>"M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t-July 4, 2004" <M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t
>07-04-04@lymbercartel.com> wrote in message
>news:sVVFc.9893$kz.2177638@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
>>
>> "Jan" <jdrew63929@aol.com> wrote in message news:20040704032450.04124.00000883@mb-
>> m15.aol.com...
>> > >Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
>> > >Guardian From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) Date:
>> > >7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
>> > ><77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
>> >
>> > This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack
>> > Bowditch, Qauck Moran,
>> Quack
>> > Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and all the *gang*
>>
>> Uh-oh...Jan gave me an idea...
>>
>> Official name change:
>>
>> We are now officialy called the Truth Flock.
>
>That does have a ring to it!
Baah. I'd feel kind of sheepish using that name, and Jan
will still accuse us of trying to pull the wool over
everyone's eyes. That may not matter to ewe, but I don't
want to ram my head against the wall. So be a lamb, and give
up on the idea. We will continue to expose those "alt"
practitioners who are trying to fleece the public. To do
otherwise would be shear madness.
-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net These are my
opinions only, but they're almost always correct. "If I
have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were
standing on my shoulders." (Hal Abelson, MIT)
>Subject: Re: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the Guardian
>From: info@healthwatcher.net (Terry Polevoy)
>Date: 7/4/2004 5:02 AM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: <d0acb77d.0407040502.287b6dad@posting.google.com>
>
>WARNINING!!!! --- ONLINE PHARMACIES CAN BE DANGEROUS TO
>YOUR HEALTH
>
>
>http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2-
>FMGArticle%2FWS
J_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031776480752&path=!business-
&s=1037645507703
WARNING!!!!! (with one N)
Side-effects of drugs kill thousands http://www.guardian.co- (http://www.guardian.co-/)
.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,1252321,00.html
Sarah Boseley Friday July 2, 2004 The Guardian
More than 10,000 people a year may die from the side-effects
of medicines prescribed by their doctors and most of those
deaths are
****unnecessary*****,
says a new study. The study, published in the British
Medical Journal today, finds that one in 16 of all
admissions to hospital is caused by the side-effects of a
drug. The cost to the NHS of the mostly avoidable treatment
of these patients is estimated at £466m a year.
The researchers investigated the reasons why 18,820
patients were admitted to two hospitals in Merseyside
during a six-month period. They found that 1,225 were
suffering from an adverse drug reaction (ADR). Most
patients recovered, but 28 died.
The authors, Munir Pirmohamed, professor of clinical
pharmacology at Liverpool University, and colleagues, say
that their figures suggest that drug side-effects caused the
deaths of about 5,700 patients.
They say that at any one time "the equivalent of up to
seven 800-bed hospitals may be occupied by patients
admitted with ADRs ...
Measures are
********urgently*******
needed to reduce the burden on the NHS".
"Jan" <jdrew63929@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040704100222.04622.00000789@mb-m10.aol.com...
> >Subject: Re: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
> >Guardian From: info@healthwatcher.net (Terry Polevoy)
> >Date: 7/4/2004 5:02 AM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
> ><d0acb77d.0407040502.287b6dad@posting.google.com>
> >
> >WARNINING!!!! --- ONLINE PHARMACIES CAN BE DANGEROUS TO
> >YOUR HEALTH
> >
> >
> >http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ-
> >%2FMGArticle%2FWS
>
J_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031776480752&path=!business-
&s=1037645507703
>
> WARNING!!!!! (with one N)
>
>
> Side-effects of drugs kill thousands http://www.guardian.- (http://www.guardian.-/)
> co.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,1252321,00.html
>
> Sarah Boseley Friday July 2, 2004 The Guardian
>
> More than 10,000 people a year may die from the side-
> effects of medicines prescribed by their doctors and most
> of those deaths are
>
> ****unnecessary*****,
>
> says a new study. The study, published in the British
> Medical Journal today, finds that one in 16 of all
> admissions to hospital is caused by the side-effects of a
> drug. The cost to the NHS of the mostly avoidable
> treatment of these patients is estimated at £466m a year.
>
> The researchers investigated the reasons why 18,820
> patients were admitted to two hospitals in Merseyside
> during a six-month period. They found that 1,225 were
> suffering from an adverse drug reaction (ADR). Most
> patients recovered, but 28 died.
>
> The authors, Munir Pirmohamed, professor of clinical
> pharmacology at Liverpool University, and colleagues, say
> that their figures suggest that drug side-effects caused
> the deaths of about 5,700 patients.
>
> They say that at any one time "the equivalent of up to
> seven 800-bed hospitals may be occupied by patients
> admitted with ADRs ...
>
> Measures are
>
> ********urgently*******
>
> needed to reduce the burden on the NHS".
Then, can I assume that you wil lJoin Terry, me and others
in opposing any f orm of support of online pharmacies that
do not follow high qulality standards?
I sure hope you will sign on to this cause.
"Jan" <jdrew63929@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040704095103.04622.00000788@mb-m10.aol.com...
> >Subject: Re: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
> >Guardian From: Peter Bowditch myfirstname@ratbags.com
> >Date: 7/4/2004 1:08 AM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
> ><15ife09bbgivpmcgksn8vgufr7n9ref1e8@4ax.com>
> >
> >jdrew63929@aol.com (Jan) wrote:
> >
> >>>Subject: Side-effects of drugs kill thousands - the
> >>>Guardian From: hubbca2003@yahoo.com.au (Carole) Date:
> >>>7/3/2004 6:01 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id:
> >>><77ed1283.0407031801.679f2076@posting.google.com>
> >>
> >>This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack
> >>Bowditch, Qauck Moran,
> >Quack
> >>Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and all the *gang*
> >>should be trying
to
> >>change, rather than squawking and calling names, and
> >>trying to control
This
> >ng
> >>with *potentially* harmful things.
> >>
> >>People are dissatisfed with conventional medicine with
> >>good reason.
> >
> >So, you've joined the National Patient Safety Foundation,
> >have you Jan?
>
> >This is what Quack Polevoy, Quack Barrett, Quack
> >Bowditch, Qauck Moran,
Quack
> >>Thorson, Quack Probert, Quack Wright and all the *gang*
> >>should be trying
to
> >>change, rather than squawking and calling names, and
> >>trying to control
This
> >ng
> >>with *potentially* harmful things.
>
> >>People are dissatisfed with conventional medicine with
> >>good reason.
>
> >Or are you still doing nothing about it
>
> Your question is a lie and you know it.
A question cannot be a lie. A question can be based on a
lie. Thus, it appears that you are claiming that you are
doing something about patient safety.
Since I have never read, to the best of my recollection,
what you are doing about it (other than posting here), I
would love to know, as you may give me ideas as to what I
can do about it.
So, please tell
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