Health authorities are tackling adverse drug reactions among patients
with the establishment of a department that will monitor side effects'
cases and educate the public and the private sector.
The central pharmaceutical services department, set up last week by
Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms), aims to
improve and regulate pharmaceutical services in its hospitals and
clinics, including a surveillance and reporting system for adverse
drug reaction cases.
Adverse drug reactions, defined as harmful reactions to drugs due to
allergies, interaction with another drug or undocumented side effects,
range from minor, such as decreased effectiveness of the medicine, to
major, such as injury or death.
However, the department's authority on surveillance and reporting
system will only cover cases received at Dohms facilities.
Dr Ali Sayed Hussain, head of the new department, told Gulf News that
the surveillance system was important to ensure the safety of the
public. "It's very important to have a reporting system for drug-drug
interaction cases and adverse drug reactions," he said.
He added that adverse drug reactions were common, partly due to some
pharmacists' practice in selling prescription medicines over the
counter.
"We are sure it happens. But we don't see any cases right now, because
there is no reporting system," he said.
Adverse drug reactions afflict millions of people around the world,
with four of them reported annually in the United States alone.
Some experts believe the figures are higher as many cases were
explained away by other factors, including the advanced age of the
patient or severity of the disease.
Dr Hussain said the requirement was important as many pharmacists did
not know enough about drug interactions.
"For example, if a patient takes erythromycin [an antibiotic] with
cisapride [to treat acid reflux disease], he could die," he said.
Cisapride is not available over the counter but erythromycin can be
purchased over the counter.
The simplest item, be it prescription medicine or herbal supplement,
can cause an adverse reaction in people if they interact with each
other.
Herbal supplements that contain ginseng, ginger, garlic or ginkgo
biloba decrease or enhance the effects of blood thinning medicine,
warfarin. This medicine is commonly used to treat blood clots, such as
in pulmonary embolism in the lungs.
Antibiotic erythromycin, used to treat respiratory tract infections
and syphilis, also interacts adversely with warfarin.
Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs
# posted by Network @ 12:57 AM
