Doctors, nurses, and others in the medical field have best intentions when providing care for their patients. However, they’re human as well. Mistakes can be made.
The body is a complex organism. When you're introduced to a prescription you may not know how your body will react since there are multiple factors in play. These factors include: genetics, prior history of addiction, and prescriptions to other medications.
"Big Pharma" can make mistakes in prescriptions due to these factors. Not all human bodies operate the same way. Because of this, it’s commonplace to see recalls on prescriptions.
There is a real danger due to the irresponsibility with prescriptions. The following scratches the mere surface of what's happening out there, right now:
1. Recalls and Class Action Lawsuits
A recent example of irresponsibility falls on the shoulders of GranuFlo.
This company provides dialysate, which plays a role to help neutralize acid buildup in the bloodstream during dialysis. It was found that its manufacturer, Fresenisus, had improperly labeled the drug's warning labels which led to flawed prescriptions.
The result was an increase in heart attacks for patients receiving the drug. This led to starting a class action Granuflow lawsuit.
The FDA has since issued a recall to revise prescribing instructions of GranuFlo but the damage has already been done and new light has revealed that Fresenius was aware of its dangers well before the recall which gives the lawsuit validity.
2. Addiction, Shortages, and Deaths
In 2010, Oxycodone was the number one cause of drug overdose in the state.
South Florida became a hotbed for oxycodone in the late 2000's and early 10's-it was commonplace to find the drug at a mere $1 per pill. The cause of this came about because there were few regulations as to the amount doctors could prescribe which lead to many patients, some of whom were addicts, receiving hundreds of pills in a single prescription. It was also common for these same individuals to go off to another doctor or physician and submit a new request which further increased their take.
Since laws went into effect which prohibited most doctors from dispensing painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and Vicodin, there has been a 97% drop in prescriptions compared between 2010 and 2011. The drop has helped at lowering addiction, shortages for legitimate patients, and deaths cause by the result of flooding the market.
3. Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria which can be very fatal if they aren't taken care of right away.
There are two issues happening with antibiotics at this time, however:
1. Many patients do not completely understand the drugs and take them irresponsibly or request them when it may not be entirely needed.
2. Many doctors use the drug as a fall back to handle the issue instead of giving alternative recommendations and prescriptions.
As a result, bacterial strains have begun to build a stronger resistance to our antibiotics.
This is usually the result of not taking the antibiotic for the full duration because people often stop once they feel better. As these resistances grow our development of antibiotics cannot keep up with the rapid changes of the bacteria which may soon result in super strains that we can't control.
Conclusion
The dangers of irresponsible prescriptions are a growing problem in the medical industry. Mistakes are made whereas others could have been prevented. It's up to the professionals like Dollar A Day Pharmacy company to hold to their ethics and make the right, best decisions for the well-being of their patients. The industry needs to keep individuals and companies accountable for their actions otherwise we could see additional problems arise in due time.
