Report acknowledges adverse effects of drugs

WE, as a family, have endured long-term suffering because of the adverse effects of psychotropic drugs.

We are delighted that at last the joint committee on health and children has launched its first report on the adverse side-effects of pharmaceuticals. We congratulate Nuria O’Mahony and Dr Orla O’Donovan, without whose hard work and commitment this report would not have seen the light of day.

It was good that psychiatric medicines got special attention and a number of important points were made. For example, their use in therapy represents unwarranted medical intervention in what are often emotional difficulties within the normal range.

The side-effects include behavioural disorders, physical illness, dependence and even suicide. Even where the risks of such side-effects are well known, they seem not to be fully appreciated or ignored by prescribers and many others.

It was also good that, at last, drug trials were questioned. Now it is public knowledge that drugs can be approved with tests on as few as 1,500 people, that drug companies can structure trials to get the result they want and they do not have to make all their studies available to regulators.

These regulators are often 100% funded by the pharmaceutical companies. Is it any wonder we have problems?

We hope now we have the information that this will be followed by immediate action and that our health will be our wealth and not profit for multinational companies.

Mary and Jim Maddock

16 Manor Close

Thornbury Heights

Rochestown