Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18046

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Walter G
Snapshot: “#$*%$#^* – it”!
MJA 2003 July 9; 179:(11/12):670
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/179_11_011203/walter_snapshot_011203.html

Abstract:

Among the many “freebies” given to doctors by drug companies, I find “post-it” notes particularly handy. I stick ’em on my desk, in my diary, on my computer, on the fridge, on the dashboard . . . everywhere. Life is much more organised for their existence. And they are such innocuous little darlings . . . or are they?

During the past year, I was informed that a young sportswoman hospitalised with severe septic arthritis of the right knee, but otherwise healthy, had been inadvertently prescribed a “novel antipsychotic”. The apparent reason for the error was that the surgical resident, weary at the end of a long shift, had transcribed on to the drug chart the names of the patient’s antibiotics (jotted down on a “post-it”) plus the name of the antipsychotic (advertised by the pharmaceutical company at the top of the “post-it”).

It could have been messy. The hospital’s Risk Management Unit, in damage control, was back-pedalling fast. After all, these new antipsychotics, although better tolerated than the older variety, are not devoid of side effects – some potentially nasty. What happened to the patient? Fortunately, no adverse events occurred. Still hopping? – yes. Hopping mad? – thankfully no, and perhaps less likely to be with an antipsychotic “on board”.