858 Drug Dangers

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about:
We’d like to imagine that the drug the doctor prescribed will do exactly what it should and not have any negative consequences. But that is probably an unrealistic expectation. Medications such as the arthritis drug Vioxx and the antibiotic Zithromax can have dangerous effects on the heart. How can we find out about the potential adverse reactions associated with our medicines?
When you enter the hospital, you’re not allowed to take your medications from home. How do you know that you are getting the maintenance drugs your doctor has prescribed? We talk about the importance of “medication reconciliation” and why patients need to be involved.
Not all the news is bad: research shows that coffee may be more healthful than we thought.
Listeners ask about drug reactions, and we explore the stories behind the health headlines.
Guests: Alan Greene, MD, is founding president of the Society for Participatory Medicine. He is also founder of www.drgreene.com and clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. His editorial about medication reconciliation was published in the Journal of Participatory Medicine. His books include Feeding Baby Green and Raising Baby Green. The photo is of Dr. Greene.
P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD, is a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and a member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. He has received research grants and/or served as a paid advisor to several government agencies, pharmaceutical and medical food companies, and advocacy groups. He owns stock in Sonexa and Clarimedix, whose products are not discussed on the show, and he has an interest in AdverseEvents.com. He is coauthor of The Alzheimer’s Action Plan and Living Well After a Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for six weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.