Effectiveness Prescription Drug

Prescription drugs are drugs that the federal government has designated to be potentially harmful unless their use is supervised by a licensed health care provider, such as a nurse practitioner, physician, or dentist. Although these drugs have been tested for safety and therapeutic effect, prescription drugs may cause different reactions in some individuals. 

Trihexyphenidyl (Artane) and benztropine (Cogentin) are prescription drugs used in the treatment both of Parkinson s disease and the extrapyramidal side effects produced by neuroleptic medication. They are occasionally abused for their mind-altering properties, which occur at toxic doses (Perry et al. 1978). Abusers often try to obtain these drugs by false representation of extrapyramidal symptoms, which are claimed to result from the use of phenothi-azines or other neuroleptics (Rubinstein 1978). 

At each visit, evaluate the pharmacotherapy regimen for appropriate drug choice and dose, non-prescription drug use, adverse effects, and use of potentially hepatotoxic medications. 

Elicit adverse effects of drug therapy using a non-leading approach and ask the patient/caregiver to judge their severity and what measures, if any, the patient used to ameliorate them. Assess adherence (ask patient about missed doses or do a pill count if the prescription container was brought to the visit). 

Obtain a complete medication history, including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and natural product use, as well as allergies and adverse effects. 

Kolassa, E.M. (1995), Physicians perceptions of prescription drug prices their accuracy and effect on the prescribing decision , Journal of Research and Pharmaceutical Economics, 6 (1), 23-37. 

More recently, large databases have been used to estimate the effect of drug co-payment in the USA under different insurance schemes.10 The conclusion reached is that there is a significant interaction effect between the behaviour of demand and prescriber incentives. Thus, larger prescription drug copayments are associated with lower expenditure when the doctor does not share the financial risk of the cost of the drugs (that is, practises in an independent practice association) but this effect is barely perceived in managed care models in which the doctor has incentives for cost containment. 

Lyles, A. and F.B. Palumbo (1999), The effect of managed care on prescription drug cost and benefits , PharmacoEconomics, 15, 129—40. 

Lillars, L.A. et al. (1999), Insurance coverage for prescription drugs effects on use and expenditures in the Medicare population , Medical Care, 37, 926-36. 

Sibutramine use also carries the risk of side effects, which include elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, dry mouth, nausea, and dizziness. Abuse of sibutramine can cause dilated pupils, excessive bleeding or bruising, tremor, and anxiety. As with all prescription drugs, it is essential to use sibutramine according a doctor s instructions. The alternative is the possibility of unpleasant side effects and dangerous outcomes. 

The treatment of simple nausea and vomiting usually requires minimal therapy. Both nonprescription and prescription drugs useful in the treatment of simple nausea and vomiting are usually effective in small, infrequently administered doses. 

Drugs Available Vaccinia Immune Globulin (VIG). The U.S. Army maintains a supply of VIG, and as of November of 2001 the U.S. government is attempting to buy VIG in large amounts. Cidofovir, another prescription drug, is effective in vitro. 

Prescription drugs must have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as safe and effective for their intended purposes and are tightly regulated. To gain approval, they must undergo laboratory tests and well-designed clinical trials that demonstrate safety... 

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