An article through Reuters states that doctors often write off patient side-effect concerns.  The truth of the matter folks is that its not only doctors who do this.

A survey of 650 patients was done with the popular drug class of medications called statins by a Dr. Beatrice A. Golomb and fellow colleques. 

I personally feel this class of medications is slowly killing people, though for now that is neither here nor there.  For information at the present time I refer you to our blog roll to the book written by Dr. Dick Tapert (the proof is in the science)

The researchers investigated the response of doctors to statin patients who believed they were having adverse drug reactions.  In the great majority of cases, the patient, not the doctor, intitiated the discussin. 

Forty-seven percent of patients with muscle problems or cognitive prolems said their doctors dismissed the possiblitly that their symptoms were statin-related, while 51 percent of patients with peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve pain affecting the extremities, said their doctors denied a possible connection with statins.

The investigators were surprised at how frequently patients reported that their doctors dismissed their concerns, Golomb said.  While her study wasn’t designed to find out why, the researcher notes that while the pharmaceutical industry is sure to get the word out about a drug’s benefits, there is “really no corresponding interest group to make sure that physicians learn about adverse affects.”

This is a very big problem.  Daily in your average pharmacy and Dr office their will be complaints of side effects with various medications.  Not appropriately addressing this is just one concern.  Should’nt these be documented, than this will give us a much clearer picture of the risks at hand since many studies that side effects are noted in in clinical trials have proven to be designed in a biasis fashion.

 Robert B Kress RPh CCN