Hi: I am presently writing a paper on the evidence surrounding the question
"Does telling patients about side effects increase the chance of side
effects". I have done the standard Medline and EMBASE search.
So far the evidence that I have found, limited as it is, (see references
below) suggests that telling patients about side effects does NOT increase
the chance of side effects. Is anyone aware of any further evidence or
information I may have missed? Thanks for your time.
1) The effect of forewarning on the occurrence of side-effects and
discontinuance of medication in patients on amitriptyline(Brit J Psych
1973;122:461-4)
2) Information, compliance and side-effects: A study of patients on
antidepressant medication (Br J Clin Pharmac 1984;17:21-5)
3) The consent form as a possible cause of side effects (Clin Pharmacol Ther
1987;42:250-3)
4) The benefits of prescription information leaflets (PIL?s) (Br J Clin
Pharmac 1989;27:723-39)
5) Does patient education cause side effects? (J Fam Pract 1990;31:62-4)
6) Can physicians warn patients of potential side effects without fear of
causing those side effects (Arch Int Med 1994;154:2753-6)
7) Effect of counseling on maternal reporting of adverse effects in nursing
infants exposed to antibiotics through breast milk (Repro Tox 1995;9:153-7)
8) The effect of the wording of information about side effects on patients'
interpretation of reported side effects. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor
Geneeskunde. 140(8):424-7, 1996 Feb 24
9) Informing patients about drug side effects. Journal of Behavioral
Medicine. 5(3):363-73 1982 Sep
10)Informed consent for a prescription drug: Impact of disclosed information
on patient understanding and medical outcomes. Patient Education &
Counseling. Vol 15(3) (pp 249-259), 1990
Dr James McCormack
Associate Professor
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C.
604) 822-1710
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