I guess I don't understand how a drug could potentially be dangerous for someone, like a pregnant mother or a small child, that the drug company adds that caveat of "talk to your doctor". Do this mean that yeah, the drug is still dangerous, but if the Doctor says it's ok, then somehow the medication then becomes safe to take?
Are Pharmeseutical companies just passing the buck here?
"Look, we told you not to take it, but if some quack MD said it was ok, then, hey, it's not our fault?"
Thanks.
2007-02-13 01:36:38 · 10 answers · asked by Rob 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
This is a cultural phenomenon. Somehow people have decided there's some absolute value to the word "safe." When something is safe, that doesn't mean that there is no risk of harm, there being nothing in existence that's THAT safe. Things as necessary as air and water can kill you. Many drugs in the US are sold under FDA "grandfather clauses" in the rules, and needn't have passed the "generally safe and effective" guidelines in place for new drugs, but even with those that are generally safe and effective, there are risks, and those risks are higher in some special populations than in the average guy. Also, since you've asked "How high is up?" you have to consider how many lawyers there are and how many crazy court cases go against all common sense.
2007-02-13 05:04:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes a drug may or may not be dangerous depending on the condition. The compainies mean that a doctor can talk to you about all the different factors that might make that particular medication safe or unsafe for you. This can include pregnancy, chronic diseases, other current medications, allergies, etc. Then, she can decide whether the benefits specific to you are worth the risks specific to you. In certain cases, even if a medication poses some risk, you and the doctor may decide it's worth taking anyways because of beneficial effects.
It means that the drug company does not have space to list on the label: "If you have chronic disease A, and are taking medication B, then you should not take this, but if you have chronic disease A and are pregnant you should, unless you are also allergic to bees." etc. etc. etc.
2007-02-13 12:40:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i believe you have to be sure if that is the medicine you need. there are a lot of diseases that has the same symptom so unless your doc says what is really the problem and what you need to take is that, just to go and grab what u think is good, is dangerous. the medicine has a lot of chemicals in it ,which helps to cure some type of diseases but it can be dangerous if it mixed with the other chemical ( another medicine) so if u taking another medicinee then u have counsel your doc to tell u if they go together. and other thing you might be allergic for some types of medicines too you know for all those reason it think it is good to talk to your doc before u take a medicin.
good q by the way
2007-02-13 10:59:03 · answer #3 · answered by lilly 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well ! see!for example some drugs are dangerous for pregnant women ! so the Dr says that you should'nt take it! The Dr know these drugs but you don't! another examples are drugs that interferes with anouther drugs and you can't use both of them together and the medicines that can not be used in the case of some other illnesses.
for all of these reasons you should always consule a doctor to take a medicine.
Enough!? :)
2007-02-13 09:47:17 · answer #4 · answered by Soren 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The health care industry has treated patients as health care consumers for some time now, making them feel like shoppers in a mall. I agree with you. If a medicine were a right fit, a doctor would bring it up, not the patient. The patient's job, if not knoweldgeable about medicine, is to stick to describing symptoms.
As for liability, the company is still liable if some adverse effect is widespread that went unreported by the manufacturer.
2007-02-13 09:40:18 · answer #5 · answered by Philip Kiriakis 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well if they tell you not to take it if you're female, pregnant, or under a certain age, or already taking another kind of drug in the commercial-it's pretty obvious WITHOUT talking to the doctor, that the drug is not for you. The commercial is telling OTHER people who don't have those complications to talk to their doctor and see if the drug is right for them.
2007-02-13 09:41:54 · answer #6 · answered by Julia Sugarbaker 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That notice is there for potential side effects or drug interactions. Many people take meds..but not everyone pay attention to potential side effects or follows instructions on the bottle.
2007-02-13 09:40:48 · answer #7 · answered by xjaz1 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I laugh when i see commercials for some rather paradoxial drug that reduces heart burn or arthritis or some trivial problem while listing possible side effects such as liver failure, heart failure, stroke, nausea, vomitting, diarrhea. Hmmmmm.....aching wrist or heart attack? sore throat or liver transplant? What do you think doc? lol
2007-02-13 09:43:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No drug is safe for everyone. It's a CYA.
2007-02-13 14:57:02 · answer #9 · answered by cangaroo_tnt 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
lol i had that today,brought some nytol as i couldn,t sleep,and the instructions put me off of taking them,if you have anything from being pregnant to asthma consult your gp...
2007-02-13 09:42:00 · answer #10 · answered by a.c 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋