Pharma industry has no role in the education of doctors
In careers spanning decades and with new medicines constantly coming on-stream, most GPs never get tested on their prescribing skills or receive unbiased advice on drugs
Last weekend The Sunday Business Post highlighted the surge in prescribing of opiates and painkillers among those with medical cards. One in ten people are on benzodiazepines and/or Z drugs [sleeping tablets] – many for much longer than recommended.
Poor quality prescribing is not confined to this therapeutic area but may be observed in the prescribing of cardiovascular drugs, particularly new oral anticoagulants, and proton pump inhibitors [for conditions such as acid reflux] ...
