Consumers need to be 'health literate'

HEALTH LITERACY is a core issue in our society and people should be educated to understand exactly how medicines work, according to an expert on pharmaceutical drugs.

"People need to know whether a drug is doing its job, what is supposed to happen and when and if it doesn't happen, they need to go back to the doctor or pharmacist and explain that," said Andrew Herxheimer, emeritus fellow at the UK Cochrane Centre.

According to Mr Herxheimer, people also need to have a better knowledge of dosage and unwanted side effects. "People should ask their doctors what is the lowest dose worth trying, how long they need to try the medicine for and what else they should look out for," said Mr Herxheimer, who is the founder of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin and Dipex ( www.dipex.org), a website where patients discuss their experiences of medication.

On a broader level, Mr Herxheimer is concerned that there is not enough reporting of adverse drug reactions (known as ADRs) to regulatory authorities. "GPs are sending in more reports on ADRs but it's still not built into the normal working pathways for doctors, so it's something they have to remember to do as an extra," he said.

New systems in Holland and Britain which allow patients to report side effects directly to the regulatory authorities are problematic, according to Mr Herxheimer. "The problem is that the regulators don't have the time to follow up on ADRs and only drug companies can appeal a drugs licence. Consumer organisations can't," he said.

In Ireland, patients can send in online reports of ADRs to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB). "Any adverse reaction reports notified to the IMB by patients are followed up with the patient and his/her healthcare professional once the patient gives his consent," said a spokeswoman for the IMB.

Almost 2,000 ADRs were received by the IMB in 2006, an increase of more than 25 per cent when compared to figures for 2000 (1,407 ADR reports).

Mr Herxheimer will speak on medicines regulation at a seminar in Cork University tomorrow. A second speaker, Marie O'Connor from the Health Service Action Group, will discuss the privatisation of healthcare in Ireland.

The academic publication, Power, Politics and Pharmaceuticals - Drug Regulation in Ireland in the Global Context(Cork University Press) edited by Orla O'Donovan and Kathy Glavanis-Grantham will also be launched at the seminar.