Psychiatric patients unaware of prescription drug risks

MANY psychiatrists are not informing people about the dangers of the long-term use of drugs they are prescribing — or about the medical problems which may develop later in life.

Author and mental health campaigner Peter Lehmann also said people who would be perfectly normal without medication were remaining in a “toxic state” because of constant medication.

Speaking at a major conference in University College Cork yesterday on the overuse of medications, Mr Lehman told an audience of 400 people that, in general, people who are prescribed anti-psychotic drugs on a long-term basis are not informed about the possibility of illness such as diabetes, breast cancer and other risks.