Death by Rx

WEEKLY DEATHS FROM PRESRIPTION DRUGS

C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.

According to the JAMA, July, 2000, each week 2038 people die from PRESCRIPTION DRUGS! And that just counts those actually reported on death certificates. Probably scores of other deaths are signed out as death from the primary illness and no one noted that one or more drugs was at least a contributing cause. Considering the 17% increase in population in the past 15 years, we can assume beyond any reasonable doubt that the prescribed drug death rate is now at least 2400 every week, or 345 every day!!

I have to wonder: how many lives are SAVED by drugs?

Remember that the PharmacoMafia has only to report that a drug is 37% or more “effective” to be approved! Of course many are 50% useful but NONE is significantly better than placebo! That is, to be as good as average placebo, they would have to be at least 70% effective. With antidepressant drugs, the BEST is reported to be 42% USEFUL. With antihypertensive drugs, the best COMBINATION is about 45% useful! In both cases highly undesirable “side effects”, complications, are rampant.

I am not suggesting that one avoid all drugs. However, the critical questions are:

• What is the cure rate of the recommended drug?
• What are the known complications?
• What are the risks if I do not take a recommended drug?
• Are there any safer alternatives to the recommended drug?

Remember that in chronic conditions, comprehensive Holistic approaches are virtually always safer and more effective~!