If long lists of possible side effects to medications deterred customers, pharmacies would go out of business.
“No one would take any medications at all,” said Debra Parker, dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Findlay.
Instead, patients should evaluate what side effects are likely and not likely for them, according to Ms. Parker.
Obviously, the happy people dancing and singing on commercials are very satisfied with their medication. But most individuals don't live their lives in 60-second clips with throwaway warnings hurriedly crushed to fit the spot.
Real people can take the time to evaluate the pros and cons. Generalized information can be found online, such as WebMD or ChatGPT. However, personalizing those warnings is better, Ms. Parker said.
“Those commercials do not take any other health conditions or medications you are taking into account. The pharmacist can put things into context,” said Ms. Parker, advising that individuals should weigh the benefits versus the risks.
Every day, 750 older Americans are hospitalized because of serious side effects from one or more medications, according to the nonprofit Lown Institute, a national think tank that advocates on health-related issues.
“There is a lot of rush in health care,” said Megan Evans-Werner, an assistant teaching professor at BGSU’s School of Nursing at the College of Health and Human Services. “The problem that I find is determining whether it is a side effect or if it is an interaction.”
The odds of experiencing a serious adverse reaction to a medication increases 7 percent to 10 percent with each additional drug taken, the Lown Institute reported. More than 40 percent of older Americans regularly take five or more prescription drugs, with nearly 20 percent taking more than 10. When over-the-counter medicine and supplements are included, two-thirds of older adults take more than five or more medications.
Some have characterized this aspect of “a cure for every ill” as America's “other” drug problem.
“A lot of attention is currently focused on the cost of medications,” said Shannon Brownlee, now special adviser to the president of the Lown Institute. “The most costly medications are those that are not needed, or are causing harm. Over the next decade, the U.S. is on track to spend $62 billion on unnecessary hospitalizations caused by too many meds. More importantly, medication harm will lead to the premature death of more than 150,000 older Americans.”
While older Americans have an increased opportunity for experiencing side effects to meds, young people are susceptible to similar risks.
“As we age, our kidney and liver functions decline. On the other end, children have immature liver and kidney function,” said Ms. Parker, noting that pregnant and breastfeeding women are at higher risk, as are those who are immunocompromised, including cancer patients.
The most common side effects are stomach upset, headache, and nausea, Ms. Evans-Werner said.
“The patient notes these symptoms because they often interfere with their day-to-day activities,” she said. “Frequently, the medications are stopped, but these symptoms can relieve themselves once the patient has taken the medication for a few days, and this is the body adjusting.”
How much time and how much detail a physician should give to describing the side effects of a prescribed medication to a patient is the subject of much research and many legal proceedings. There are no hard-and-fast rules. Doctors typically review the significant side effects when initially prescribing a drug. Pharmacists can fill in the gaps, but the process can be imperfect.
“When the patient picks up a new medication at the pharmacy, the pharmacist will ask if the patient has any questions or concerns, but this often does not work well,” Ms. Evans-Werner said. “The patient could be unaware of what to ask if the prescribing doctor has not appropriately educated them, and the patient would miss the opportunity to know more about the side effects due to their lack of health care knowledge or what precisely to ask.
“The education by the doctor and the pharmacist has to be to a level of understanding to accommodate the individual patient,” she said. “This can vary patient to patient.”
Some people want to know more. Others want to know less. Nonetheless, pharmacies are required to attach a side effects statement to each prescription dispensed.
“People are more likely to tolerate side effects if they know what to expect,” Ms. Parker said.
First Published January 26, 2025, 5:00 a.m.