1 in 4 patients prescribed unproven drug mix

When I see this article, it screams out at me: a lot of physicians aren't treating their patients optimally because they are not up to date on the latest regimens. Sounds like they might benefit by collaborating closer with a pharmacist...

From the Globe and Mail:
Patients with high blood pressure are increasingly being treated with powerful combinations of drugs.

And according to a new Canadian study, one in four patients are being prescribed unproven - and probably ineffective - combinations by their doctors.

"It's a good thing that there's more polytherapy," Karen Tu, a scientist at the Toronto-based Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and co-author of the study, said in interview.

"[But] unfortunately, it appears that not all physicians are completely aware of the drug combinations that work best for their patients."

The research, published in today's edition of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, sheds light on treatment for hypertension, a critical but rapidly changing field of medicine. ...more