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Regulatory Tools And Incentives For Dealing With Health-Related Risk Health Affairs, May/June 2007; 26(3): 663 [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Reprints & Permissions]

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Medication-Related Risks: Who Should Be Blamed?

Dharmagadda Sreedhar, N. Udupa   ( 18 June 2007 )

Medication-Related Risks: Who Should Be Blamed? 18 June 2007
Dharmagadda Sreedhar, Lecturer Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, N. Udupa Send letter to journal: Re: Medication-Related Risks: Who Should Be Blamed? d.sreedhar{at}manipal.edu Dharmagadda Sreedhar, et al.	Medication-related disorders may be due to inappropriate diagnosis, errors in prescribing or administration of medicines, side effects of drugs, or any other factors related to unwanted effects of medicines and medical interventions. All the medication-related disorders act as an incalculable economic drain. It would be very shocking to know the amount of money shattered due to such negligence. No one wants to accept the entire responsibility of medical catastrophe, but when it comes to the beneficial side of medication aspects, everyone would come forward to claim their involvement. However, it is not the only responsibility of a pharmaceutical firm or a regulatory body or a health care professional or an individual, it is the collective effort of all which can prevent medication-related risks. It is the responsibility of the pharmaceutical industries to invent beneficial medicines with affordable costs. It is the responsibility of the regulatory bodies to appropriately check and approve medicines and also to make people aware about the uncertainties of medicines and medical interventions. It is the duty of the health care professionals to avoid inappropriate diagnosis and prescription errors. Finally, the responsibility remains on every patient who has to cooperate with the health care professional by adhering to the therapy and providing the right feedback. Considering risk management, every product, every process, and every activity performed in this world has an associated risk. Hence, every organization has to identify and evaluate the risks with utmost care and be well-versed with the procedures which can reduce the risk. Although risk management plans have been used as best business practices for many years, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory bodies need to urgently re-examine and reorganize their approaches to risk management and maintain pace with the changing world.