The top ten drugs used by
Australians were linked to 2925 adverse events and 67 deaths in the last
five years, an exclusive analysis of the adverse events data base of
the national drug watchdog has found.
Since
2007, the most commonly used drugs have been linked to 950 cases of
musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, 633 nervous system
disorders, 331 cases of respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
and 286 cases of psychiatric disorders.
The
cholesterol lowering medicine Atorvastatin produced the highest number
of adverse events between 2007 and 2011, and was linked to 815 reports
of side effects including 13 deaths.
Paracetamol,
found in common over-the-counter products such and Panadol, was being
taken in more than one third of deaths linked the ten most commonly used
drugs.
Twenty-four deaths
were reported as being linked to Paracetamol between 2007 and 2011 but
the TGA says this does not mean the drug directly caused these deaths.
"An
adverse event report does not mean that the medicine is the cause of
the adverse event and should not influence a person's decision to stop
taking a medicine,'' the TGA says.
source:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/bad-medicine-takes-toll-on-australians/story-fndo48ca-1226474568593
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