Diabetes news: Study shows prevalence of 'detox' myth
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has undertaken a new study revealing that 20% of people in the UK believe it can be beneficial to take occasional breaks from regular drug treatment for a long-term condition. In reality, the opposite is true; 'detoxing' from medicine in this way can present a serious risk to one's health. The NPA warned that the implications for people with asthma, depression, or diabetes can be especially severe.
The study looked at a variety of common misconceptions about safe use of medicines. All the advice says that people shouldn't take non-prescription medicines that were recommended on the basis of another person's symptoms, but almost a third of people in the UK don't see a problem with doing this. This extends to parents giving adult medication to children for conditions such as the common cold, believing that all they need to do to make it safe is lower the dose.
A number of other common delusions were identified by the NPA. 25% of those surveyed thought aspirin was just a weaker form of ibuprofen, and 50% thought the influenza vaccine could cause flu. The NPA is keen to put an end to this enduring myth, which may be dissuading people who are most at risk from getting the vaccination.
Ignorance around use-by dates on medicine is also an issue, with 10% of respondents admitting they never check to see whether medication has expired. Drugs are only fully effective within a certain timeframe.
Leyla Hannbeck, the NPA's head of information, said that there is a lack of understanding amongst the general public about how medicines work in the body, and said it was vital that people get the right advice and treatment. She said that the impact of diabetics, asthmatics and those suffering from depression 'detoxing' from drug treatments could be 'catastrophic'.
The NPA study was published alongside the launch of Ask Your Pharmacist Week - an event which exists to make people more aware of the fact they can get expert advice and a range of other services from their local pharmacy.
The study looked at a variety of common misconceptions about safe use of medicines. All the advice says that people shouldn't take non-prescription medicines that were recommended on the basis of another person's symptoms, but almost a third of people in the UK don't see a problem with doing this. This extends to parents giving adult medication to children for conditions such as the common cold, believing that all they need to do to make it safe is lower the dose.
A number of other common delusions were identified by the NPA. 25% of those surveyed thought aspirin was just a weaker form of ibuprofen, and 50% thought the influenza vaccine could cause flu. The NPA is keen to put an end to this enduring myth, which may be dissuading people who are most at risk from getting the vaccination.
Ignorance around use-by dates on medicine is also an issue, with 10% of respondents admitting they never check to see whether medication has expired. Drugs are only fully effective within a certain timeframe.
Leyla Hannbeck, the NPA's head of information, said that there is a lack of understanding amongst the general public about how medicines work in the body, and said it was vital that people get the right advice and treatment. She said that the impact of diabetics, asthmatics and those suffering from depression 'detoxing' from drug treatments could be 'catastrophic'.
The NPA study was published alongside the launch of Ask Your Pharmacist Week - an event which exists to make people more aware of the fact they can get expert advice and a range of other services from their local pharmacy.
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