Misuse of medicine kills
Gilbert Boyefio
12/08/2008
According to Alex Dodoo, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, about 10 percent of all people who either use the right medicine at the wrong time or in overdose get killed.
He explained that many people misuse medicine and consequently die as a result.
He pointed out that in America, the misuse of medicines kill more people than motor accidents.
Speaking at a book launch in Accra yesterday, Dr Dodoo said there was therefore the need to educate people about the right use of medicines. Commending the book entitled "Medicine: using them safely”, he said it would change life. He said the author, Bernard Appiah, had done the people of Ghana a good service.
The 288-page book is written in an informal, approachable style, with lots of examples, straight from the shoulder advice, and scattering of cartoons and drawings. It is a great model of how to get the drug safety message across to ordinary people, and could be of benefit in many English-speaking countries. The market price is GH¢15.00.
The author is a very renowned pharmacist, the brain behind, and a regular guess on the television magazine programme Your Medicine aired on Saturday morning on TV3. The programme aims at debunking myths associated with medicines and diseases, but with the ultimate aim of promoting rational use of medicines.
According to Bernard Appiah, many patients that visit the hospital do not understand the prescriptions that they are given and end up abusing the drugs and rather aggravating their ailments.
He said the book, which is the second edition, is therefore meant to address this problem. He noted that the second edition was a big improvement on the first one
He said the second edition has seven chapters as compared to four chapters of the first edition. The three new additional chapters address issues like tobacco smoking and medicine, and the efficacy of certain drugs in the treatment of malaria. “Virtually, when you get a copy of this book you will understand drugs more and also educate yourself on their proper uses. It will prove useful to you,” he added.
Bernard Appiah is a drug information pharmacist at the National Drug Information Resource Centre and the Secretary of the Public Health Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.
He is a Master of Development Communication student of the University of Philippines Open University. He is also a member of the Council of Science Editors and a 2007 International Scholar of the CSE.
12/08/2008
According to Alex Dodoo, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, about 10 percent of all people who either use the right medicine at the wrong time or in overdose get killed.
He explained that many people misuse medicine and consequently die as a result.
He pointed out that in America, the misuse of medicines kill more people than motor accidents.
Speaking at a book launch in Accra yesterday, Dr Dodoo said there was therefore the need to educate people about the right use of medicines. Commending the book entitled "Medicine: using them safely”, he said it would change life. He said the author, Bernard Appiah, had done the people of Ghana a good service.
The 288-page book is written in an informal, approachable style, with lots of examples, straight from the shoulder advice, and scattering of cartoons and drawings. It is a great model of how to get the drug safety message across to ordinary people, and could be of benefit in many English-speaking countries. The market price is GH¢15.00.
The author is a very renowned pharmacist, the brain behind, and a regular guess on the television magazine programme Your Medicine aired on Saturday morning on TV3. The programme aims at debunking myths associated with medicines and diseases, but with the ultimate aim of promoting rational use of medicines.
According to Bernard Appiah, many patients that visit the hospital do not understand the prescriptions that they are given and end up abusing the drugs and rather aggravating their ailments.
He said the book, which is the second edition, is therefore meant to address this problem. He noted that the second edition was a big improvement on the first one
He said the second edition has seven chapters as compared to four chapters of the first edition. The three new additional chapters address issues like tobacco smoking and medicine, and the efficacy of certain drugs in the treatment of malaria. “Virtually, when you get a copy of this book you will understand drugs more and also educate yourself on their proper uses. It will prove useful to you,” he added.
Bernard Appiah is a drug information pharmacist at the National Drug Information Resource Centre and the Secretary of the Public Health Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.
He is a Master of Development Communication student of the University of Philippines Open University. He is also a member of the Council of Science Editors and a 2007 International Scholar of the CSE.
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