Drug Safety Market – An Overview
Drugs are administered to patients to make them well, ease disease and prevent complications in chronic conditions. However, drugs need to be prescribed, administered and meticulously monitored to safeguard the health and life of patients.
The U.S. government’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to approve any drug before it is available in the market. The FDA evaluates all drugs including prescribed or over-the-counter drugs. The evaluation process consists of collecting complete information about the product. It involves the following
- Studying the side effects of drugs
- Finding information about the manufacturing process
- Studying the results of animal testing, clinical trials and research
Drug Safety is ensured by providing all required information to consumers and health professionals on drugs old and new, drug label changes, other safety information and shortages of necessary drug products. It also covers online buying of medicines from legitimate pharmacies and taking the prescribed dose correctly. It also involves sharing information, new research and studies of all types of drugs. Patients and their care takers need to be taught the correct way of medication.
Here are some common medication errors that should be rectified.
Common Medication Errors
The main objective of medicating is to cure diseases, prevent problems from chronic diseases, and ease pain and discomfort. However, medicines can be harmful if not used properly; incorrect use of medicines can result in serious side effects, reactions and other complications.
Apart from home medication, errors can happen even in hospitals and doctor’s office and pharmacy.
Preventing medicating errors of medicines, herbs, vitamins and supplements
- Have complete information about medicines
- Knowledge of the correct dosage
- Correct time and interval to take the medicine
- Reading the medicine labels thoroughly.
- Not taking medicines prescribed for others.
- Careful administration of medicine to children
- Ask your doctor about the reason, any side effects and their cure, the duration of medicine
- Combination of medicines
- Contraindicated medicines and supplements
Medicine safety helps you to gain health and maintain well-being while working with health professionals, by making the best choices, by buying safe and genuine drugs and by using the medicine safely and effectively.
FDA provides a lot of educational resources through free drug-related publications. It provides information about antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, counterfeit medicine, safe use of medicines generic drugs, misuse of prescription pain relievers, over the counter medicines, buying medicine over the Internet.
The safety of drug ensures the trust of people in the medical system of any country. If doctors, physicians, pharmacologists and other medical professionals are unaware of complete information of drugs, they cannot prescribe the correct medicine.
In the age of the internet when information overload is overwhelming, government and the medical fraternity should make a commitment to spreading awareness through multiple channels. New studies and findings of drugs should be available on websites so that patients can educate themselves. A clear understanding and emphasizing the importance of expert opinion regarding any drug can save many lives. It can also control wrong self-medication.
