The specialist journal Prescribe draw up a list every year medication more dangerous than effective or useful. This time, 107 drugs in total are singled out, including 88 marketed in France. All present, according to this study, “an unfavorable benefit-risk balance in all the clinical situations in which they are authorized”.
The purpose of this list is to help professionals in health “to choose quality care” and to avoid putting patients at “disproportionate risk”. Among the drugs not recommended, some are widely used, like Maxilase or Rhinadvil, frequently used against sore throats but which can lead to allergic or sometimes serious skin disorders.
Gaviscon rather than Smecta
Voltarene, used to calm inflammation or pain, “exposes to an increase in cardiovascular adverse effects (including myocardial infarction, heart failure) and deaths of cardiovascular origin compared to other NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories) as effective, ”said the specialized journal. Likewise, Smecta is not recommended due to natural lead pollution. Prescrire recommends Gaviscon instead in the event of gastroesophageal reflux.
Finally, three new drugs appeared on this list this year: peanut protein (Palforzia), roxadustat (Evrenzo) and opium tincture (Dropizal) due to a risk-benefit balance considered too unfavorable.