CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY 2003 (PART 2)

PRESCRIBING, CONSUMPTION AND ECONOMICS Prescribing, consumption and economics The reasons for taking a drug history from patients are: • Drugs are a cause of disease. Withdrawal of drugs, if abrupt, can cause disease, e.g. benzodiazepines, antiepilepsy drugs. • Drugs can conceal disease, e.g. adrenal steroid. • Drugs can interact causing positive adverse effect, or negative adverse effect, i.e. therapeutic failure. • Drugs can give diagnostic clues, e.g. ampicillin and amoxicillin causing rash in infectious mononucleosis — a diagnostic adverse effect, not a diagnostic test. • Drugs can cause false results in clinical chemistry tests, e.g. plasma cortisol, urinary catecholamine, urinary glucose....