General Medicine

» Alicia Mae Prater - How concerned are you about side effects?

I absolutely believe that the marketing happens way too quickly on most medications...and even vaccines.

Medications are important - for people who actually need them. There are so many healthy people taking them now that the side effects are becoming more prominent and more dangerous. When a sick person takes a medication the side effects don't amount to the devastation of the disease and can be overlooked, but if you're healthy then why become sick? There are so many diseases created by marketing firms working for the drug companies that a re-evaluation is needed of what constitutes illness.

It is extremely important, I think, for a person to know the risks of the illness, the benefits of the treatment, and the risks of the treatment before making a decision about taking a medication. And that hasn't been happening. So yes, I am afraid of medication side effects, because who knows if what the label says is true.

I have family and friends who call me about prescriptions their doctors give them so I can look up the information and tell them what they know the labels and doctors didn't.