“Discard for better care.” This is the motto of the independent specialized magazine Prescribe which publishes each year an updated list of drugs considered more dangerous than effective and useful. This year, it lists 107 medicines, 88 of which are marketed in France, with the authorization of the competent authorities.
This kind of blacklist of medicines is established for patients, but also for health professionals in order to “help them choose quality care”, “do not harm patients” and avoid “running” the latter “disproportionate risks”.
some common drugs
In this list you will find medicines that are widely used and present in the boxes of pharmacies in France. By way of illustration, Maxilase and Rhinadvil are listed, used against sore throats, because they expose to allergic or skin disorders, sometimes serious.
Another example: the review does not recommend toplexil, widely used to treat coughs in children. Prescribe because “it exposes to disproportionate adverse effects in the symptomatic treatment of cough”.
Similarly, Voltaren, for inflammation and pain, “exposes you to increased cardiovascular adverse effects (including myocardial infarction, heart failure) and cardiovascular deaths compared to other highly effective NSAIDs,” he continues. the revision.
three new ones on the list
In fact, the contributors to this list try, as far as possible, to advise alternatives.
For Smecta, for example, not recommended due to its natural lead contamination, “in the case of uncomplicated gastroesophageal reflux, other drugs have a favorable risk-benefit balance, such as the combination of sodium bicarbonate and sodium alginate (Gaviscon or others) .”
It is also recommended to take paracetamol instead of Maxilase.
The list covers many medical fields such as oncology, cardiology, gynecology or psychiatry.
In 2023, three new drugs enter the market blacklist drugs to rule out: peanut protein (Palforzia), roxadustat (Evrenzo), and tincture of opium (Dropizal). They were added “because the undesirable effects they expose to are out of proportion to the efficiency gain they bring.”
Source: BFM TV
