Laurie Slater wrote:
It is my
> worry that the same judgement may be held about the rapid emergence of
> polypharmacy that we are seeing in the early 21st century. Current studies
> tend to look at individual therapies and I believe that we have
> underestimated the many different dangers of polypharmacy. In chronic
> patients (on loads of medication) a disturbingly high proportion of symptoms
> we manage are side effects of the treatments. I suspect these are
> undereported and that the 'side-effect' is as much orphan to the medical
> profession as is pain.
>
Wise words, I think.
I have been surprised by this thread.
Can anyone show us the study that says
a) this level of polypharmacy is safe just from the day to day going's
wrong that happen when humans try to take/prescribe/dispense medications
b)this level of polypharmacy is safe in terms of the combined effects of
the different medications or the interaction between them on each other
c)did any of the 'evidence' that supports the benefits (some, somewhat
miserly) of some of these meds apply to i)someone of this age ii)someone
on so many other meds iii)someone with poly-pathology
This parrot (poly) is dead, deceased, pushing up the daisies.....(to
misquote that great sketch)
Cheers all :)
Jel
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