Benefits of prescription

To make this point, it is worth summarizing the views of several experts. Dr. Jerry Avorn of Harvard University lists these benefits of prescription drugs ... 

Although concerns about the high cost of prescription drugs and the lack of access to needed drugs dominate much of the discussion, others point to the opposite problems. They say the benefits of prescription drugs are overstated or overhyped. The public has too much access to prescription drugs... 

Recent revisions to the boundary conditions (ice-sheet topography and sea surface temperatures) have added uncertainty to many of the GCM calculations of the past two decades. Moreover, all of these calculations use prescriptions for at least one central component of the climate system, generally oceanic heat transport and/or sea surface temperatures. This limits the predictive benefit of the models. Nonetheless, these models are the only appropriate way to integrate physical models of diverse aspects of the Earth systems into a unified climate prediction tool. 

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin). Methylphenidate was introduced in the late 1950s and is now the most widely used prescription stimulant. It was first used to treat ADHD in children but is also effective for narcolepsy. Like dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate should be started at 5 mg per dose given two to three times each day with meals. The average effective dose is 20-30 mg/day, but some patients require as much as 60 mg/day. The benefit of methylphenidate should also be apparent on the first day or so, and the dose can be increased every 5-7 days as needed. Focalin dosing is approximately half that of methylphenidate. 

Progressive companies use a more structured and comprehensive team approach to identify root causes. Scientific principles and concepts are applied to determine root causes and make recommendations to prevent recurrence. Effective investigations should use tested data analysis tools and methodologies to seek the identification of multiple causes. To be repeatable, the investigation should use a systematic approach, which may also be prescriptive. As a rule, the benefits of this systematic approach result from two actions ... 

Avorn, Jerry. 2004. Powerful Medicines The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs. New York Alfred A. Knopf... 

Avorn J. Powerful medicines the benefits, risks, and costs of prescription drugs. New York Knopf 2004. 

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