Persuasive Research Paper : Pharmaceutical Drugs, Harmful or Helpful?

1.     Final Project: Persuasive Research Paper

·         Resources: Appendix A and Appendix H

·         Use the checklist in Appendix H to proofread your final draft. If you cannot answer positively to an item in the proofreading checklist, revise your paper accordingly.

·         Construct a persuasive research paper in 2,000 to 2,500 words, formatted according to APA guidelines.

·         Include the following elements:

o    Title page

o    Introduction and a thesis statement

o    Body with supporting evidence and in-text citations

o    Effective visuals, appropriately introduced

o    Conclusion

o    Reference list with at least five to seven sources, at least three of which must come from the University Library

o    Completed peer-review form

·         Review Appendix A to ensure you have completed every step required for the final project.

·         Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

·         Post your final project and the peer review checklist a classmate completed for your research paper as attachments.

Pharmaceutical Drugs, Harmful or Helpful?

            No one wants to be awoken at two a.m. by a phone call saying their sister is at the hospital.  That is what happened to me, that one phone call had a devastating impact on my life.  I rushed to the hospital in a panic, the doctors told me she was in a coma and they didn’t know if she would come out.  So why did this happen, the doctors figure her new prescription interacted badly with her other prescriptions. They couldn’t say if it was her mistake or her doctors.  She was in a coma for three excruciatingly long weeks before she finally woke up.  Since then, she wasn’t the same.  She was physically and mentally fine, but little things are different.  She would get angry easier, slept more, and ate less.  You could say the person who woke up from the coma wasn’t the person who went into the coma.  Even though pharmaceutical drugs can be very helpful in curing diseases, they can cause more harm than good due to side effects, an individual's dependency, and contributing to the breakdown of our natural immune system.

      Pharmaceutical drugs are defined as any chemical substance intended as use in treatment or prevention of disease. One example of a pharmaceutical drug is prescription drugs, which are essentially any drug that is prescribed by a physician, such as antibiotics or pain killers. Over the counter medications are also considered under the term pharmaceutical drugs.  This covers everything from generic aspirin to NyQuil.  Pharmacology is the study of the effects of chemical substances on living systems. One part of pharmacology is drug action, or how drugs bind to specific cellular targets or their physicochemical/physical effects (Rawlins, 2009). Another part of pharmacology is study of drug handling or how the living body processes, absorbs, distributes, and excretes chemical substances (Rawlins, 2009). 

      Pharmaceutical drugs are used mainly for treatment of diseases or infections.  They can be used to treat or cure short term illnesses such as fevers or the flu. They can also be used to treat or cure long term illnesses such as cancer.   Pharmaceutical drugs can also be used for prevention of diseases. Vaccines are a great way in which pharmaceutical drugs are used to prevent diseases.  Vaccinations inject just enough disease into your body in order for your immune system to learn the cure and file it away in case you are ever exposed to the disease your immune system will recognize the disease and know the cure already without having to find the cure before fighting the disease.  This method has been proven in not only to help prevent diseases but has also been used to eradicate a disease.  Such is the case of small pox.  This disease ravaged the 18^th century; Killing twenty to sixth percent of infected people including five monarchs (Wikipedia, 2009).  This disease is now been eradicated completely after several vaccination campaigns, the World Health Organization certified it in Dec 1979. (Wikipedia, 2009)

      Pharmaceutical drugs can cause as much harm as good. Sometimes drugs do not cure or prevent the diseases they are meant to prevent or cure.  Such as with cancer, not all cancer treatments work one hundred percent.  What works for one individual may not work for another.  Even such basic ailments such as headaches, aspirin does not always work.  There are hundreds of cold medications, and the reason for that is not all work for all individuals.  How many commercials have we seen for a new prescription medication only to see a lawyer commercial a few months later about death or severe illness due to the drug?   With vaccines, which are designed to prevent, you can still catch the diseases. In fact, you could catch the disease from the vaccine itself since the vaccine is a small dose of the disease.  If your body is ill-equipped to figure out the cure, you may get very sick from the vaccine.  Prescriptions medications do not always cure illnesses, which is why there are so many drugs that do basically the same thing. Every prescription drug you buy comes with a list of side effects.  This can be anything from nauseousness to seizures.  There is no possible way for any health professional to certify a drug will not harm anyone that takes it before it has been circulated to the general public. 

            J Rohrlich informed us in “Your Money & Your Life” of the potentially harmful side effects of eight different commonly taken prescription drugs.  The table below lists the drugs with the side effects taking from his website.  I included another column with a list of potential side effects according to RxList.com for comparison.

Table 1

Name	Side effects from J Rohrlich	Other potential side effects from RxList.com
Mirapex	Mirapex, a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, acts on the dopamine receptors in the part of the brain linked to pleasure and reward-seeking behavior. Side effects can include compulsive gambling, wild shopping binges, overeating, and hyper sexuality	RxList.com reported most commonly observed side effects are nausea, dizziness, somnolence, insomnia, constipation, asthenia, and hallucinations.
Alli	A popular weight-loss drug, Alli can cause "gas with oily discharge, an increased number of bowel movements, an urgent need to have them, and an inability to control them."	RxList.com reports side effects as, Loose or more frequent stools that may be hard to control , An urgent need to go to the bathroom, and Gas with oily spotting
Xeloda	Taken by cancer patients, can cause your fingers and palms to peel. Resulting in no fingerprints	RxList.com has five different table lists dozens of side effects, each table for a different percentage of the individuals taking the drug.
Rifampin	Commonly given to patients who have been exposed to meningitis, Rifampin will turn urine, sweat, saliva, and tears a festive red-orange color. The effect can be dramatic enough to stain one’s contact lenses.	RxList.com had Rifampin as the generic to several drugs, several with warnings about contracting “fatal hepatitis”
Abilify	One ad for Abilify, informs the reader that "elderly dementia patients... have an increased risk of death or stroke," "uncontrollable muscle movements [that] may become permanent," and "thoughts of suicide.”	RxList.com reports, the most common adverse reactions were nausea, vomiting, constipation, headache, dizziness, akathisia, anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness.
Chantix	Smokers trying to quit by using Chantix may also experience suicidal thoughts.	RxList.com reports, the most common adverse reactions were nausea, sleep disturbance, constipation, flatulence, and vomiting.
Cymbalta	Severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported.	RxList.com reports, the most common adverse reactions were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, somnolence, hyperhidrosis, dizziness, asthenia and decreased appetite.
Advair	An asthma drug that can cause asthma-related death	RxList.com includes a table of side effects including candidiasis mouth/throat, throat irritation, hoarseness/dysphonia, sinusitis, viral respiratory infections, headaches, dizziness, fever, malaise, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, muscle cramps and spasms.

            There are many ways in which pharmaceutical drugs can cause harm. The above table only lists a few common medications.  Every drug has a list of potential side effects.  With Every prescription the pharmacist includes a pamphlet listing these side effects with the dosage.  I have been asked recently by pharmacists if I have used these prescriptions before and if I have any questions.  It is up to us to read this information and ask questions.  Individuals who do not educate themselves on the drugs they are being prescribed can take the wrong doses or mix the wrong medications. Every drug has the potential for not only many side effects but also drug interactions.  We as individuals need to ask our doctor about new prescriptions they are giving us.  The National Council on Patient Information and Education gives us this list of questions we should ask before leaving the doctor’s office if given a new prescription:  (Golodner, 1999)

1.      What is the name of the medicine and what is it supposed to do?

2.      Is this the brand or generic name? 

3.      Is a generic version available?

4.        How and when do I take the medicine - and for how long?    

5.      What foods, drinks, other medicines, dietary supplements, or activities should I avoid while taking this medicine?    

6.      What are the possible side effects, and what do I do if they occur?    

7.      When should I expect the medicine to begin to work, and how will I know if it is working?    

8.      Will this new prescription work safely with the other prescription and non-prescription medicines I am taking?

            The National Council on Patient Information and Education gives us this list to ask our pharmacist before leaving with the new medication: (Golodner, 1999)

1.      Do you have a patient profile form for me to fill out?  (If not, then create your own by clicking on Medication List (http://www.talkaboutrx.org/medform.html) . Print this out, complete the form and show it to your pharmacist before your prescription is filled.)

2.      Will it include space for my non-prescriptioin drugs and any dietary supplements?    

3.       Is there written information about my medicine? Ask the pharmacist to review the most important information with you. (Ask if it's available in large print or, if necessary, in a language other than English.)    

4.      What is the most important thing I should know about this medicine? Ask the pharmacist any questions that may not have been answered by your doctor.    

5.      Will any tests or monitoring be required while I am taking this medicine?    

6.      Can I get a refill? If so, when?    

7.      How should I store this medicine?  

            V. J. Wirtz took surveyed a group of individuals over 18 years of age that have bought at least one drug in their life.  The survey tested their knowledge on the harmful effects of the drugs they were buying.  The results of the survey are shown in the table below.

Table 2.

Total customers surveyed	1445
Total individuals who bought prescriptions drugs without a prescription	1055
Total individuals who knew the drugs they bought could cause harm	172
Total individuals who could name at least one side effect of the drugs they were taking	87

            There is an alternative.  Herbal remedies can achieve the same results without all the nasty side effects. There are many medicinal herbal drugs that can be used in the same ways as pharmaceutical drugs. Many herbal drugs can be used to prevent and cure the same illnesses, and since they are not manmade, herbal drugs have less harmful doses.

      These drugs are less known and fewer people believe in the benefit of natural herbal medications.   Some individuals believe since these drugs are not monitored or regulated by the government, some of their harmful effects could still be unknown.  Herbal drugs have been used for much longer than traditional pharmaceutical medications without the harmful effects on the human body.  

    Even if you are not a natural herb user, and still feel more comfortable using pharmaceutical medicines, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself.  One, know what you are taking, two, know the side effects of each medication, and three, know the potential interactions between your medications.  Ask your doctor questions about your medication, research your medication on the internet, or even ask your pharmacist.  With all the information on the internet, there is no reason any one can not find information about their prescriptions.  So, please, get knowledgeable, do your research, ask questions.  This is your first defense against any harm coming to you like what happened to my sister. 

Anonymous, (Mar 2009). Pharmaceuticals; Studies from V.J. Wirtz et al provide new data on pharmaceuticals.  Retrieved Sept 2009, from ProQuest database.   

Ayo, J, Agu, H, Madaki, I (2005). Food and drug interactions: its side effects.  doi: 10.1108/00346650510605630

CIWMB (May 2009) Pharmaceutical Drug Waste, http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/hhw/pharmwaste/ Retrieved Sept 2009.

Golodner, L (1999) Educate before You Medicate,  http://www.talkaboutrx.org/ golodner_message.jsp. Retrieved Nov 2009.

           

MNT (Aug 2008), Toxic Drugs, Toxic System: Sociologist Predicts Drug Disasters, Says Prescription Drug Harm Growing, Drug Testing, Approval And Marketing Flaws, Adapted from original press release.  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117052.php.   Retrieved Sept 2009.

           

ONDCP, Prescription Drugs Facts and Figures, http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/DrugFact/prescrptn_drgs/rx_ff.html.  Retrieved Sept 2009.

Prescription Drugs and Their Potentially Adverse Effects, (Nov 2003). http://www.worldhealth.net/news/prescription_drugs_and_their_potentially/ Retrieved Sept 2009

Rawlins, Michael D. (Sep. 2009).  Pharmacology   The Oxford Companion to Medicine. Retrieved Sept. 2009, from Oxford reference Online database

Rohrlich, J, (Aug 2009) Eight Prescription Drugs with Truly Alarming Side Effects, http://www.minyanville.com/articles/GSK-lly-BMS-CEPH/index/a/23818.  Retrieved Sept 2009.

           

RxList, (Oct 2009) The Internet Drug Index from www.rxlist.com.  Retrieved Oct 2009.

Wikipedia, (Nov. 2009) Smallpox  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox. Retrieved Nov 2009.