Taken from pages 261-2 of The Truth About Drug Companies:
How They Deceive Us and What To Do About It by Marcia Angell, MD
When your doctor prescribes a new drug, ask him or her
these questions:
What is the evidence that this drug is better than an alternative drug or some
other approach to treatment? has the evidence been published in a peer-reviewed
medical journal? Or are you relying on information from drug company
representatives? Insist on getting a straight answer and, if necessary, a
reference to a journal article or medical textbook.
Is this drug better only because it is given at a higher dose? Would a
cheaper drug be as effective if it were given at an equivalent dose? Sometimes
the best course is simply to increase the dose of an older drug. Remember,
there is usually no reason to think new drugs are better than old ones, and the
older the drug, the better its safety record is likely to be.
Are the benefits worth the side effects, the expense, and the risk of
interactions with other drugs I take? Every drug has side effects, and it
may be better not to treat self-limited or trivial ailments.
Is this a free sample? If so, is there a generic drug or an equivalent drug
I can use that is cheaper when the free samples run out? Free samples are a
false economy. They are designed to get you and your doctor hooked on the
newest, most expensive drugs.
Do you have any financial ties with the company that makes this drug? For
example, do you consult for the company? other than free drug samples, do you
receive gifts from drug companies? Are you being paid to put me on this drug
and enroll me in a drug company study? Do you make time for visits from drug
company representatives? If the answer to any of these questions is yes,
you should consider changing doctors. You need to know your doctor's decisions
are based solely on what is best for you. And doctors need to be weaned from
their dependence on drug company largesse.
contact: jori@ucla.edu