Do we need a national prescription drug database?
Feb 8th, 2008 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, Dangerous ProductsThis week, local and national news reported that actor, Heath Ledger died due to an overdose on several prescription drugs. Physicians reporting on the findings stated that no doctor in his or her right mind would prescribe the cocktail of drugs that were found in Ledger’s body.
It was reported that it is common practice in America to consult with different medical doctors in order to get different drug prescriptions. These individuals also go to different pharmacies to get their prescriptions filled. Many times these different doctors and different pharmacies do not communicate with each other.
Isn’t it time for a national prescriptions drug database? Just like individual pharmacies have conflict checks for different prescribed drugs, our federal government should require all pharmacists and perhaps medical doctors to review all drugs currently prescribed to an individual, before filling a new prescription.
If we had this database, it could have saved Ledger’s life. Of course, it is up to the individual as to what they put in their body. If a person wants to take all those drugs at one time, there may be no way to stop them, but for the innocent person, there should be protections.
What do you think?
The author of this Blog, Philadelphia car accident lawyer, Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. of Saile & Saile LLP, Attorneys-at-Law focuses his practice on fighting for plaintiffs’ personal injury and car accident victim’s rights in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We handle all serious injury cases including, car accidents (both limited and full tort), wrongful death, slip & fall downs, construction accidents, Septa, NJ Transit, and other cases other cases. We are located just outside of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County. We also handle Philadelphia plaintiffs’ personal injury and car accident cases. Please visit our personal injury only website at www.pa-nj-injurylawyer.com for more injury information.
well, no, its not time for a national plan.
one, that may imply government controling the database
two, it would imply all the millions of pahrmacies to act as a co op. not as free enterprise.
three- if we do this, why not take government control of exxon, and put all exxon profits into national health plan
- with a touch or reality and sarcasm in what i say
First, good riddens to that turd. I’m tired of hearing about him. He knew darn well what he was doing by taking all of those perscriptions and the manner he obtained them tells you that. By going to all of the different doctors to get these drugs prescribed to him he was trying to beat the system and got what was coming to him. Boo hoo he has anxiety…WHAAAAA. What does he have anxiety about?? Making $10 million on his next loser film? What party to go to? Where hes gonna get his next fix from? Good riddens to another hollywood loser who cannot handle the fame that they craved before they made it big. WHAAAAAA!
Secondly, I do feel that there should be a national database so that this type of thing does not happen to innocent people who are legally prescribed medication for legitimate illnesses and their primary doctor might have over looked. They might be on vacation and see another doctor for a legitimate illness and it could interact with a current medication they are on and with a national database this potentially deadly mix would be caught in time to save a life.