When a Georgia doctor prescribes medication, you should feel confident that your physician has correctly prescribed you with the medicine you need to treat the condition you have. If you do not require a certain medication, you should not be taking it. Yet some doctors have been found to overprescribe medicines to patients. The results of taking unneeded medicine can be disastrous, with some patients suffering serious health problems or death.
A report from CNBC explained that one of the issues causing doctors to overmedicate patients is that making and selling medicine is a major business in the United States. Pharmaceutical companies are known to market their medicines to doctors, who may in turn prescribe these medicines to their patients. You may notice in a doctor’s office that there are signs that representatives from a pharmaceutical company have visited the doctor. Such signs can include pens or notepads that bear the logo of a pharmaceutical outfit.
The hurried nature of seeing patients may also contribute to doctors prescribing unneeded medicine. Doctors may feel burdened by their workload and are not investing the time needed to explain to patients the risks of certain medicines and why they cannot prescribe them. Instead, some doctors go ahead and prescribe medicine to patients without giving much explanation why the medicine is needed just to move things along.
Sometimes doctors prescribe more medicine with the best of intentions. They see their patients are in pain and want to help them. Nonetheless, discussing treatment options with your doctor and not rushing to take medicine may help prevent serious injury or even death that may result from ingesting the wrong medication. Taking the time to discuss methods of treatment may also reveal other treatment choices, such as fluids and bed rest, if they are called for.
This article is written to provide general information on medical malpractice. It is not to be interpreted as legal or medical advice.
