How not to spend money on medicines, pacifiers
Health / / December 19, 2019
What is the hit list of drugs?
Hit list of drugs - it scroll medicines and dietary supplements, which do not have evidence of effectiveness. They are sold in pharmacies, prescribers are advised doctors and friends. But they are most likely not work.
List helps navigate the appointments, do not spend money on pacifiers and not to questionable experiments on his own body.
What do you mean "no evidence of effectiveness"?
This means that the action of the drug not been tested methods of evidence-based medicine.
Evidence-based medicine - a concept that any medicine, manipulation or treatment must undergo rigorous testing efficiency. To do this, they have shown to result in the studies, and not all, but only those that exclude the probability of error as much as possible. Such studies are:
- Held non-related parties. That is, if the effectiveness of the drug only manufacturer says it is not considered.
- Carried out so as to minimize the risk of error. The most qualitative study - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, with a large sample of patients. There are other options, but the "All in the entrance / on site / at work say helps" is not considered.
- Played. This means that if another team of researchers decides to repeat the experiment, you will get the same results. Therefore, the arguments "Everyone in the ward helped" and "I'm the last time was better" does not work. They can not reproduce on a large sample.
Such studies are expensive, but their results are the most honest.
Depending on whether the drug has passed such verification or not, it determines the level of evidence: A (significant research) to C (reliability as himself).
So, in the hit list of medicines collected funds, the study of which the level of Evidence or so-so, or even worse: their level is generally unknown, because they do not even We checked.
Some drugs from the list of evidence is there, but deeper analysis it is clear that it can not be considered objective information: it is simply for the sake of writings publications, which either has not been respected study design, methodology or curve, or even hidden key data, which can be estimated correctly experiment.
Nikita Zhukov, a neurologist-epileptolog, author of "Moditsina" and "Moditsina². Apology ", the creator of the resource Encyclopatia, medical director of the Medical Investment Group
Once these drugs do not work, why they are on sale?
Unfortunately, in the world produce and sell a huge number of drugs that do not cure. This happens for several reasons.
- Medications and supplements - is business. Until people get sick, make a profitable drugs. Especially profitable to sell drugs that do not work well, or offer supplements for healthy people who want to become more healthy.
- Science and medicine in particular, do not stand still, constantly discoveries are made and new research is being conducted. Sometimes it turns out that some drug loses effectiveness (as a cure for the flu), the facility was overpriced and there is a new drug that works better. But the old drugs leave the market is not just because it is not ready to give up nor the doctors nor the patients from them. "Often, because the old drug corny always cheaper, and only what there is efficiency - for human minor matters", - adds Nikita Zhukov.
- People want to cure all at once by one tablet. Desire miracle gives rise to demand for all sorts of potions that help right away and everything.
- Alas, the formation of many doctors and patients is poor.
Doctors, unfortunately, is often not burdened with critical thinking and actively support domestic myths and false expectations related to health. Therefore, not everyone can distinguish acting medicine from pacifiers.
Nikita Zhukov
Evidence-based medicineIntroduction to Evidence-Based Medicine appeared in the 70-ies of XX century, a particularly strong development was relatively recent, so not all states have switched to high standards. To the drug got into the pharmacy in Russia, it is necessary to prove in the first place its security and efficiency level is not so important. Therefore, even in the listThe list of vital and essential drugs for medical use in 2018 essential drugs can be found instances, the effect of which has not been confirmed by international studies.
Why can we trust the list?
List compiled and adds neurologist Nikita Zhukov - the author of the book series "Moditsina"And the project on evidence-based medicine Encyclopatia (That part of it is a hit list).
The main criterion for the addition of drugs on the list - the discrepancy to the principles of evidence based medicine. The list is not unreasonable assessments in the spirit of "this drug is good, and this - no." All drugs tested: the author has studied the world's scientific libraries and work, which describes the effects of drugs and their active substances. In this you can make yourself. After describing each drug The above fact-check how many publications, public and where it was found, taking into account references to the drug.
To assess drug use reputable scientific journals and libraries, which are collected from the study rated evidence. If they do not have the publications on the drug, which means that its effectiveness has not been confirmed.
Why all the libraries and study in English?
English - an international scientific language. It was on him exchange information scientists worldwide. All explanatory research are translated into English, published in scientific journals in English, quoted in English. This is the reality, and the lack of English-language version is now - not a reason to read the study at all.
Understand scientific information, of course, great and useful. But the need is not for everyone, and not everyone is willing to spend time combing databases with foreign studies. Hit list of drugs just need to make life easier for ordinary patients and do not force them to check their own each medicine.
How to use the list?
When you are someone recommend a cure, or even when it is prescribed by a doctor, you do not know and who do not trust, visit page list and check if there was a drug that you are interested in.
Mobile on Android has an application, but it does not work: it is simply an alphabetical list of drugs that repeats information from the web version.
Application not found
If you are ready to conduct its own study of the efficacy of the drug in the desktop version you can check list of candidates to add to the hit list. This drug, which has not yet passed a fact-check, but cast doubt on the effectiveness.
The medicine is in the hit list. And now what i can do?
If this drug you recommend someone from friends, nothing to do: do not buy, do not take. The problem consult your doctor for standing appointments.
But if the remedy prescribed by a doctor, is a little more complicated.
- To get started, try talk to the doctor. Perhaps the drug assigned by tradition: many patients believe that the good doctor prescribes medication any more, and "strengthen" means. Often in response to such a request, doctors prescribe vitamins and gepatoprotektory antiviral drugs that are not needed. Explain that you do not want to spend money on a drug with unproven efficacy. Educated physician will support you and understand.
- When the doctor insisted on taking the drug and did not hear about evidence-based medicine, it is best to find another doctor, if possible.
When the doctor insists on the admission of the drug useless and there is no opportunity to go to another, it is necessary to begin to understand: it scared your condition? Since almost always fuflomitsiny are issued when the health is not threatened.
Nikita Zhukov
And what if the efficacy of the drug still prove?
This may well be. Theoretically, if verified drugs from the list of methods of evidence-based medicine, they can show the effectiveness.
But, firstly, the majority of funds are presented on the market for years, and the evidence of their work is still no. Secondly, while there is no clear evidence the drug works, then all who use it, are involved in the experiment "will work - will not work."
Nikita ZhukovWe can not predict its action or to know in advance what may be side effects or contraindications, and it is really dangerous.
It is unlikely that you want to take part in experiments and unjustified pay for it.
see also🧐
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- How to cope with the pain without drugs