Lists of the side effects of the Prescription Meds continued growth: study (HealthDay)

(Thursday, May 26, HealthDay News) - lists of the side effects of prescription drugs on drug labels, packaging and advertisements have proliferated to an average of 70 by drug, a new study reports.

Warnings on side effects have been designed to inform physicians and consumers of the potential hazards, but this expansion may have had more to do with concerns over disputes rather than real health problemssay the authors of the study, which argue that the information could be presented much more effectively.

"Having a high number of side effects on the label of a drug should not suggest that the drug is dangerous." In fact, much of this labelling has less to do with toxicity real to protect manufacturers from possible prosecution, "principal investigator study author Dr. Jon Duke, Regenstrief Institute and Assistant Professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine"said in a press release from the University.

An analysis of more than 5,600 tags drugs and side effects more than 500 000 concluded that prescription drug labels include an average of 70 different adverse potentials - a number which jumps to 100 of the side effects of some commonly prescribed drugs.

Some drugs in the upper range listed even 525 reactions.

Duke pointed out that the large number of listed side effects could overburden physicians to browse this information to make informed decisions about medications for their patients.

For the study, published in issue 23 May of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers have compiled a list of prescriptions drug types who were most likely to have a high number of marked side-effects. These drugs include antidepressants, antiviral drugs and new treatments for restless legs syndrome and Parkinson's disease.

Despite the enormous amount of information found in the labelling of current drugs, Duke argued that data could be useful if presented properly.

"With the current technology, drug labels could be processed long static documents from dynamic resources capable of providing custom patient information." "These labels could take into account medical conditions of the individual patient and to highlight the side effects that may be particularly dangerous," he said.

"We cannot stop the growing wave of drug information, but we can do a better job of presenting effectively to health care providers," Duke found.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides additional information on side effects of drugs.