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Article: Rx for doctors: inform consumers about side effects.
- Article from:
- Newsletter-People's Medical Society
- Article date:
- August 1, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 People's Medical Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Contrary to popular medical wisdom, suggestibility is not a side effect of consumer education.
Many doctors fail to warn consumers about the potential side effects of newly prescribed drugs because they fear that the power of suggestion will unnaturally increase the incidence of those side effects. In fact, studies indicate that only one doctor in four routinely discusses the potential side effects of newly prescribed drugs with their patients. But a recent study indicates that this "what you don't know won't hurt you" attitude may do more harm than good.
The study, reported in the Dec. 12/24, 1994, Archives of Internal Medicine, found that consumers who are ...