While many French people frequently use non-prescription drugs as well as food supplements for self-medication, this form of self-medication is not always without consequences. This is the observation that the magazine 60 Millions de consommateurs wished to highlight on the occasion of its new special issue.
132 self-service products scrutinized
Published by the National Institute of Consumption, the magazine 60 Millions de consommateurs released this Thursday, October 15, a new special issue in which we find a file dedicated to the dangers caused by non-prescription drugs. To analyze the drugs, the magazine studied the products with regard to their respective leaflets and pharmacovigilance data from the Medicines Agency. To do this, the team created a scoring system established with editors of the journal Prescrire and approached the nutritionist Jacques Fricker for the analysis of dietary supplements.
A total of 132 drugs were screened. Of these, 60 are non-prescription drugs and 72 are self-service food supplements. All the products are intended to relieve everyday ailments such as the common cold, fatigue, insomnia, immunity, sore throats, headaches, pain, etc.
The research aimed to study the presence of dangerous substances present but also the risks of side effects. The experts also wanted to alarm consumers on the excessive dosages of certain drugs and pointed out the false claims, the absence of mention or logo signaling the risks, the lack of clarity of the instructions.
Only 10% of the drugs studied are to be preferred
According to the magazine’s criteria and rating system, a large number of over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements would have an unfavorable benefit-risk balance. Of the 60 non-prescription drugs studied, 35 were classified as ‘prohibited’. In total, only 10% of the non-prescription drugs studied should be used for self-medication. What the experts question? The too frequent presence of substances with formidable side effects, even on healthy people.
For cough and sore throat medications, for example, none of the 12 products tested proved effective and all were classified as red. The analysis also reveals that certain products can sometimes cause cardiovascular problems as is the case with pseudoephedrine, intended to alleviate symptoms of the common cold.
The study also noted the presence of additives possibly carcinogenic or endocrine disrupting. Finally, the study revealed that, out of all the food supplements analyzed, 55% should be avoided and only 25% are recommended. According to experts, the overdosed vitamins offered by some supplements are counterproductive or even harmful.
In the end, the magazine only recognizes the effectiveness of paracetamol and ibuprofen. But the experts point out that it is imperative to avoid, in general, overdose of analgesics. Indeed, an overdose of painkillers could harm the liver.
