Read the leaflet of medicines correctly

Risks and side effects in the leaflet can unsettle you

05/03/2015

The leaflet of a drug contains not only information on the use and dosage of the drug but also information on adverse reactions. Thus, a headache medication may cause brain bleeding, gastrointestinal inflammation and nausea. Many consumers are confused when they read about the risks: „Shall I take the medicine, although it may harm my health?“ The news agency „dpa“ spoke with experts about the information in the leaflet. Their conclusion: Patients should not be confused. Much of the information was used for the legal protection of the manufacturer.

Patients should not be confused by side effects
The side effects of some medications are downright scary. This also applies to medicines that are not subject to prescription. For example, if I take a headache tablet, I must be aware that it rarely causes cerebral hemorrhage. In a gastric gel against heartburn it should rarely come to soften the bones, according to the manufacturer information after prolonged use. And in the case of a cold syrup for the night, the package leaflet includes seizures in the brain. Nevertheless, consumers should not be deterred, advises Ursula Sellerberg of the Federal Association of German Pharmacist Associations (Abda) to the news agency. Every manufacturer is obliged to list all known side effects

According to Sellerberg, the reported probabilities of side effects often caused uncertainty and led to misunderstandings. So mean „often "in a side effect, not that the probability is high that it actually occurs. „In that case, it affects a maximum of ten percent of patients, "says the expert. „Rare“ means that the side effect on average in up to ten people of 10,000 show.

Leaflet serves above all the legal protection of the manufacturer
Hans-Michael Mühlenfeld, chairman of the Doctors' Association Bremen, adds in an interview with the agency that the package leaflet primarily serves the legal protection of the manufacturers. „Lawyers from the pharmaceutical company sit at the phrases. "The intelligibility is therefore often played a minor role, so that misunderstandings are inevitable, including the information that points to risks and speak against the intake. „The information relates to the substance, not to their dosage or shape. "According to Mühlenfeld the package leaflet of a non-prescription cortisone ointment may contain the same information as that of high-dose cortisone injections, because the drug is the same.

Often it also unsettles consumers when the effects and side effects are the same symptoms. „100 mg aspirin tablets are used to inhibit blood clotting, and the higher-dose 1000 mg units to fight fever and inflammation. "The 1000 mg tablets also show the effects of coagulation and the desired side effects Consumers talk to their doctor or pharmacist, because the individual requirements of the patient, as well as other illnesses that also require medication, have a great influence on the likelihood of any change or side effects.The doctor knows the history of the disease and can to estimate the risk.

„Matthias Kahnt of the Independent Patient Counseling Germany (UPD) to the news agency emphasizes that risks are to be put in concrete terms, but that the risk-benefit balance is generally weighed in the case of medicines: drugs for cancer often have strong side effects such as hair loss and a general weakening Sellerberg adds, because cancer is life-threatening, but these risks are considered acceptable. „Headache remedies with this side effect would never come to market. "

Information on use and dosage must be clearly stated in the leaflet
All medicines must contain clearly formulated dosage information for the patient in their patient information leaflet, Kahn reports. Often pharmacists or doctors write this information on the package, but it is advisable to look in the instruction leaflet, as it contains details on the use of the drug. For example, information about the time of ingestion, before or after the meal can be found there. For the mixing of antibiotics-dry juice for children the exactly required amount of liquid is noted. In addition, the amount of drug to be taken is often not the same for all patients. „This is often dependent on factors such as weight and therefore very individual. "For juices, care should be taken to ensure that the supplied measuring cup is meant when the leaflet mentions a spoon, explains Sellerberg.

It says in the leaflet „One tablet three times a day“ As is often the case with antibiotics, that does not mean that the tablets should be taken at once. Rather, they are distributed throughout the day, every eight hours, swallowed. „This achieves a uniform effective level“, reports the expert.

If you experience any side effects not listed in the package insert, the doctor should be informed
When taking large tablets, it should also be noted that not every pill may be split, even if it has a corresponding notch. „Occasionally these have a coating that protects against the bitter taste of the active ingredient or ensures that it is gradually released. "Sellerberg said:" Then the sheath should not be broken. "This information can also be found in the instruction leaflet or can be obtained from the doctor or pharmacist be requested.

If a black triangle is shown on a medication package, the product is subject to a special risk assessment because it is new to the market. „For the patient, the information means that he should critically evaluate the side effects of the drug, "explains Kahnt." If symptoms actually appear that are not listed in the package leaflet, they should be reported to the doctor but even with funds with the black triangle unfounded, so Kahnt. „As long as a drug is on the market, it is also safe.“ (Ag)