Editor—The drug point by Harrison-Woolrych and Clark on nose bleeds associated with risperidone highlights a real need for effective communication in the medical fraternity.1
The problem with doctors is that they are quite enthusiastic in prescribing new drugs. Unfortunately the mechanism for reporting adverse or unexpected side effects of drugs is not uniform across countries. Only some of the strikingly bad or unusual side effects will be published in a journal. I do not know whether there is a central body keeping track of such information.
This situation acts in favour of the drug companies as there is no effective dissemination of data on drug related problems. But, as we all know, the drug companies are very efficient in “educating” doctors about new drugs, especially the data that they want doctors to believe. Hence the system is bound to result in medical disasters.
The only way is to have a central body that scrutinises drug side effects and communicates effectively to all doctors, not just those in the developed world. We are all aware of drugs that are frowned on in the advanced nations being sold in their millions in poorer countries.
Competing interests: None declared.
References
- 1.Harrison-Woolrych M, Clark DWJ. Nose bleeds associated with use of risperidone. BMJ 2004;328: 1416. (12 June.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]