12% of ER Visits - Adverse Effects from Drugs

[Guest guest]

" Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems. "

Letters to the Editor: sunletters@...

Vancouver Sun

Side effects lead to ER visits

Twelve per cent of patients rushed to VGH have adverse reaction to

medications, study finds

Pamela Fayerman

June 03, 2008

VANCOUVER - Twelve per cent of patients who rush to the emergency room

at Vancouver General Hospital are there because of adverse effects from

medications, according to study findings being published Tuesday in the

Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The 11 international authors of the study said patients with

medication-related complaints are more likely to be admitted to hospital

beds after they've been seen in the ER and occupy those beds far longer

than others, a result the authors described as " striking. "

.... " We've proven in this study that we've got a problem in the health

care system with patients who experience bad effects from medications

and we have to figure out how to reduce those problems, " said lead

investigator Dr. Zed, who was working at VGH during the study but

is now at the Queen Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

" The solutions will involve better communication among doctors,

pharmacists and patients, " Zed said in an interview. " Simply handing out

a pamphlet at the pharmacy that lists all the potential side-effects

doesn't work. Patients don't read them or they don't understand the

information. "

Problems stemmed from a variety of issues including patients being

prescribed the wrong drugs, given wrong dosages, allergic reactions,

interactions between drugs and patients not following instructions for

how or when to take their medications.

....Health Minister Abbott said in an interview the study points

to the need for " continuous improvement when it comes to misuse, overuse

and abuse of drugs. "

The province plans to establish a patient safety and quality council to

reduce adverse events, promote transparency and identify best practices

to improve patient care, Abbott said.

Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems.

Entire story can be found here:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5481d91d-47c1-4b7a

-bb3e-87aa888ad49f

+++

Only 305 signatures needed to reach 27,000 Against TeenScreen.

English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html

Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html

Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html

French http://www.enfantshyperactifs.com/petition-a-signer/

[Guest guest]

" Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems. "

Letters to the Editor: sunletters@...

Vancouver Sun

Side effects lead to ER visits

Twelve per cent of patients rushed to VGH have adverse reaction to

medications, study finds

Pamela Fayerman

June 03, 2008

VANCOUVER - Twelve per cent of patients who rush to the emergency room

at Vancouver General Hospital are there because of adverse effects from

medications, according to study findings being published Tuesday in the

Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The 11 international authors of the study said patients with

medication-related complaints are more likely to be admitted to hospital

beds after they've been seen in the ER and occupy those beds far longer

than others, a result the authors described as " striking. "

.... " We've proven in this study that we've got a problem in the health

care system with patients who experience bad effects from medications

and we have to figure out how to reduce those problems, " said lead

investigator Dr. Zed, who was working at VGH during the study but

is now at the Queen Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

" The solutions will involve better communication among doctors,

pharmacists and patients, " Zed said in an interview. " Simply handing out

a pamphlet at the pharmacy that lists all the potential side-effects

doesn't work. Patients don't read them or they don't understand the

information. "

Problems stemmed from a variety of issues including patients being

prescribed the wrong drugs, given wrong dosages, allergic reactions,

interactions between drugs and patients not following instructions for

how or when to take their medications.

....Health Minister Abbott said in an interview the study points

to the need for " continuous improvement when it comes to misuse, overuse

and abuse of drugs. "

The province plans to establish a patient safety and quality council to

reduce adverse events, promote transparency and identify best practices

to improve patient care, Abbott said.

Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems.

Entire story can be found here:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5481d91d-47c1-4b7a

-bb3e-87aa888ad49f

+++

Only 305 signatures needed to reach 27,000 Against TeenScreen.

English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html

Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html

Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html

French http://www.enfantshyperactifs.com/petition-a-signer/

[Guest guest]

" Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems. "

Letters to the Editor: sunletters@...

Vancouver Sun

Side effects lead to ER visits

Twelve per cent of patients rushed to VGH have adverse reaction to

medications, study finds

Pamela Fayerman

June 03, 2008

VANCOUVER - Twelve per cent of patients who rush to the emergency room

at Vancouver General Hospital are there because of adverse effects from

medications, according to study findings being published Tuesday in the

Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The 11 international authors of the study said patients with

medication-related complaints are more likely to be admitted to hospital

beds after they've been seen in the ER and occupy those beds far longer

than others, a result the authors described as " striking. "

.... " We've proven in this study that we've got a problem in the health

care system with patients who experience bad effects from medications

and we have to figure out how to reduce those problems, " said lead

investigator Dr. Zed, who was working at VGH during the study but

is now at the Queen Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

" The solutions will involve better communication among doctors,

pharmacists and patients, " Zed said in an interview. " Simply handing out

a pamphlet at the pharmacy that lists all the potential side-effects

doesn't work. Patients don't read them or they don't understand the

information. "

Problems stemmed from a variety of issues including patients being

prescribed the wrong drugs, given wrong dosages, allergic reactions,

interactions between drugs and patients not following instructions for

how or when to take their medications.

....Health Minister Abbott said in an interview the study points

to the need for " continuous improvement when it comes to misuse, overuse

and abuse of drugs. "

The province plans to establish a patient safety and quality council to

reduce adverse events, promote transparency and identify best practices

to improve patient care, Abbott said.

Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems.

Entire story can be found here:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5481d91d-47c1-4b7a

-bb3e-87aa888ad49f

+++

Only 305 signatures needed to reach 27,000 Against TeenScreen.

English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html

Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html

Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html

French http://www.enfantshyperactifs.com/petition-a-signer/

[Guest guest]

" Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems. "

Letters to the Editor: sunletters@...

Vancouver Sun

Side effects lead to ER visits

Twelve per cent of patients rushed to VGH have adverse reaction to

medications, study finds

Pamela Fayerman

June 03, 2008

VANCOUVER - Twelve per cent of patients who rush to the emergency room

at Vancouver General Hospital are there because of adverse effects from

medications, according to study findings being published Tuesday in the

Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The 11 international authors of the study said patients with

medication-related complaints are more likely to be admitted to hospital

beds after they've been seen in the ER and occupy those beds far longer

than others, a result the authors described as " striking. "

.... " We've proven in this study that we've got a problem in the health

care system with patients who experience bad effects from medications

and we have to figure out how to reduce those problems, " said lead

investigator Dr. Zed, who was working at VGH during the study but

is now at the Queen Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

" The solutions will involve better communication among doctors,

pharmacists and patients, " Zed said in an interview. " Simply handing out

a pamphlet at the pharmacy that lists all the potential side-effects

doesn't work. Patients don't read them or they don't understand the

information. "

Problems stemmed from a variety of issues including patients being

prescribed the wrong drugs, given wrong dosages, allergic reactions,

interactions between drugs and patients not following instructions for

how or when to take their medications.

....Health Minister Abbott said in an interview the study points

to the need for " continuous improvement when it comes to misuse, overuse

and abuse of drugs. "

The province plans to establish a patient safety and quality council to

reduce adverse events, promote transparency and identify best practices

to improve patient care, Abbott said.

Central nervous system medications such as opioid painkillers,

antipsychotics for those with mental health issues, sleeping pills, and

antidepressants were the types of drugs most likely to cause problems.

Entire story can be found here:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5481d91d-47c1-4b7a

-bb3e-87aa888ad49f

+++

Only 305 signatures needed to reach 27,000 Against TeenScreen.

English http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html

Spanish http://www.psychsearch.net/votos.html

Italian http://www.psychsearch.net/italiani.html

French http://www.enfantshyperactifs.com/petition-a-signer/