Taking Prescribed Drugs Is A Leading Cause Of Death (From JAMA)

[KittyWampus]

Here's info about Prescribed Drugs as leading cause of death.
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JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association Adverse Drug Reactions May Cause Over 100,000 Deaths Among Hospitalized Patients Each Year .

The old link here no longer works so follow to 2nd link. First linked worked when I posted it on DU in 2004.

http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/sci-news/1997/pres_rel.htm#jma71005

http://www.socialaudit.org.uk/4390doh6a.htm


Link to old thread from 2004 when link went to JAMA website

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=708763&mesg_id=709660

HERE IS A LINK confirming this information is valid but no longer accessible online from first hand sources:

http://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com/doc/pharmaceuticals-kill-100000-hospital-patients-0001



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From CNN Website which obfuscates that its the FOURTH leading cause. Of COURSE they take the LOW estimate-

Links no longer work but if you google the title and CNN it comes up referenced.


Study:

Drug reactions kill an estimated 100,000 a year-

snip
Such reactions -- which do not include prescribing errors or drug abuse -- rank at least sixth among causes of death in the United States, behind heart disease, cancer, lung disease, strokes and accidents, according to a report published in this week's Journal of
the American Medical Association. The report was based on an analysis of existing studies.

"Serious adverse drug reactions are frequent ... more so than generally recognized," the researchers said.

The researchers analyzed studies of hospital patients conducted during a 30-year period, from 1966 to 1996. They found serious drug reactions affected 6.7 percent of patients overall and fatal drug reactions 0.32 percent.

In the study, serious injury was defined as being hospitalized, having to extend a hospital stay or suffering permanent disability.

The authors said the most surprising result was the large number of deaths. They found adverse drug reactions ranked between fourth and sixth among leading causes of death -- depending on whether they used their most conservative or most liberal estimates.

Between 76,000 and 137,000 U.S. hospital patients died from adverse reactions in 1994, and the "ballpark estimate" is 106,000, Pomeranz said. The low estimate, 76,000 deaths, would put drug reactions sixth. The ballpark estimate would put them fourth, he said.

The study found an additional 1.6 million to 2.6 million people were seriously injured. The ballpark estimate was 2.1 million.

snip
Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of the consumer advocacy Public Citizen Health Research Group, said he believes the numbers are on target.

"I've read most of these studies, and they represent large hospitals, small hospitals ... a heterogeneous sample of the kinds of hospitals in this country, and include a whole range," Wolfe said.
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Book on Amazon:

Death By Prescription : The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation by Ray D. Strand, Donna K. Wallace

Here's Editors Review-

*The leading drug problem in the U.S. today is not the use of illegal drugs—it is the use of legal drugs.
*The fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. is properly prescribed and administered medication. By adding improperly prescribed medication to that equation, it becomes the third leading cause of death.
*There are over 2 million hospital admissions and 180,000 deaths each and every year in the U.S. due solely to adverse drug reactions
*When the FDA approves a medication for use by the general public, less than half of the serious drug reactions are known. You—the patient—become the final clinical trial.

[Scuba]

1. Meanwhile, all-time deaths from overdose of marijuana remain at zero.

[KittyWampus]

3. Exactly.

[niyad]

2. and yet, big pharma and their loyal servants, the doctors, continue unchecked.

[djean111]

4. Where's the Angry Bird Brigade Against Horrible Old Supplements on this?

"When the FDA approves a medication for use by the general public, less than half of the serious drug reactions are known. You—the patient—become the final clinical trial. "
And we are told that the problem with supplements is that the FDA did not test them.
Bullshit. Adverse reactions to supplements is nowhere in the ballpark.
The problem with supplements is that the money does not go into Big Pharma pockets, with the obligatory bite given to insurance companies.

And yeah, one of the medications my doctor prescribed for me (I am on record as not going to take it) - was for a damned off-label use. We all just test rats to Big Pharma now, but shaped like piggy banks.