What You Should Know About Drugs Part I

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You should also find out about the medicine's common side effects, serious or not . . . about all possible drug interactions with other substances . . . and about any dangerous reactions the remedy has been known to cause, no matter how infrequently such repercussions may occur. Be sure, as well, that you know what the early warning signs for the serious side effects are.

Don't neglect to learn the name of the drug, either . . . that simple but vital fact is frequently not provided to the consumer. And I'm talking about the generic term . . . not just the brand name. In fact, if you're going to be taking a combination remedy, write down every ingredient in the medicine and-if you can -obtain from your doctor an information sheet about each of them.

Lastly, make certain that you under stand precisely how to administer the drug — "before meals" is not a very specific time guide, for instance — and the reasons for the instructions.

FERGUSON: Are there any completely safe drugs?

GRAEDON: No, indeed. There are potential problems with all pharmaceuticals. Often, though, doctors and clients risk being lulled into thinking that particular medications are completely harmless . . . so let your doctor know about any side effects you experience from a drug, no matter how minor the reaction. Otherwise, the physician might not think to warn the next patient to whom he or she gives the medication.

FERGUSON: Why do most people rely so heavily on drugs for treatment?

GRAEDON: I think there are four main reasons for that dependency. One cause is the vast number of advertisements for over-the-counter drugs. Just count the number of medication-oriented ads you see on television in one week! Children are bound to grow up thinking that such potions are the answer to all health problems.

The second cause for our culture's drug reliance is the even more intense advertising efforts drug manufacturers make to promote their products to doctors. Pharmaceutical companies have thousands of employees whose sole job is to go to physicians' offices and "push" their drugs. Not only that, but almost every medical journal contains dozens of very expensive medication commercials. Such a sales blitz can't help having a very big impact on doctors' treatment tendencies.

Thirdly, health workers are educated to believe that "there's a pill for every ill". Prevention and non-drug-oriented treatments are too often either ignored or given only lip service.

And finally, the time pressure involved in clinical visits encourages drug therapy. The average doctor has perhaps 10 or 15 minutes to see each client. That's not enough time to think about prevention . . . or even begin to ask how the current problem might relate to the rest of an ailing person's life. In fact, 15 minutes is barely enough time to take a brief history, check the individual's blood pressure, and then write a prescription.

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