It may seem like a good idea at the time, but there can be negative consequences from sharing or borrowing prescription medications. According to study results presented at this year's annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, 25% of people who borrow prescription medications experience side effects.
About 55% receive no written instructions about the proper use of the medication from the person they borrow from, and 38% don't even get verbal instructions or warnings. So it goes something like this:
- "My arthritis is killing me today."
- Helpful friend/family member responds: "Oh, I have pain pills if you want some."
About 77% of study participants borrowed medication rather than seeing their doctor, but 1 in 3 ended up consulting with a health care provider eventually -- resulting in delayed treatment. Of those who delayed care, half did not choose to tell their doctor about the borrowed medication.
Clearly, it's not a good idea to borrow someone else's prescription medication. By ignoring warnings associated with the drug, delaying appropriate treatment, risking side effects, and not being straight with your doctor about "borrowing" -- the potential consequences may be significant.
Related Resources:
- 10 Ways to Ensure Drug Safety
- Review Your Prescriptions With Your Doctor
- When Should Arthritis Medicines Not Be Used?
- Reduce the Risks of Using Arthritis Medicine
- 10 Things You Should Do When Given a New Prescription
Join the Discussion:
Photo by Brad Killer (iStockphoto)
Inso far as people sharing their perscriptions with another and 25% suffering “side effects”. I would first have to ask how such a “study” was made. Nearly everyone who takes perscribed drugs suffers side effects from the them.Studies have shown that more than 300,000 die each year from perscribed poisons. Likewise, many no doubt share drugs that they both were perscribed and share to reduce cost. These cost going towards the overhead incurred so that the crap can be advertised on TV and other media thereby raising the price of a drug that costs pennies to produce to the insane prices we are force to pay these bandits. The “talk to your Doctor if this drug is right for you” should be banned. Then they go on to read the “side effects” as required by law. If after listening to that revelation you still feel you need this in your diet, then you are sick indeed. However, figure on getting a lot sicker. For example, read the anecdotal data on askapatient.com on real people with real experiences on often more harm than good drugs. Is it any wonder people are seeking help from alternative medicine? I suppose you can’t be a patient advocate, but maybe a little closer to the fence dividing the patient advocate from one on the side of big business?
Luther Quick
My two cents and I of course don’t for a minute expect you to display it. Just to let you know that not everyone out here is brain dead.