Tag: Prescribing guidelines

According to the World Health Organization, irrational prescribing is a leading cause of medication errors and adverse events worldwide. Following the golden rules of prescribing is therefore essential for healthcare professionals to maximize clinical effectiveness and patient safety. These principles provide a framework for making sound therapeutic decisions.

Initially hailed as a 'wonder drug' in the 1960s, the use of benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium) became heavily restricted as significant risks and side effects came to light. This historical context explains why is diazepam no longer prescribed for many common conditions today, pushing modern medicine towards safer alternatives.

According to a recent study presented at Mount Sinai, beta blockers may offer no overall benefit for patients with an uncomplicated heart attack and preserved heart function, a finding that challenges a decades-long standard of care. This shift in evidence, along with concerns about side effects and alternatives, helps explain why doctors might not always favor beta blockers, though they remain vital for many specific conditions.

In 2022, approximately 727,000 individuals had lost their lives to opioid overdoses since 1999, with prescribed opioids like oxycodone being significant contributors. Understanding guidelines related to oxycodone use is crucial for patient safety.

In 2020, nearly 70,000 opioid-related overdose deaths were reported in the United States. A key factor in preventing such adverse events is understanding a patient's prior exposure to these drugs, which leads to the crucial question: **what is opioid naive mean?** This term signifies a person with little to no recent history of taking opioid medications.