09/11/2026
Certain medications are known to cause side effects, like statins producing muscle pain, or iron producing constipation. In these cases the right course of action is often to change the dosage or class of medication, not to give another medication for the side effect. The operating principle that should govern all medicine is to treat the cause.
The researchers found that around 10% of the time medications that commonly had side effects were given, another medication was given to treat that side effect.
For example, 11.9% of the time that iron was give, a laxative was
subsequently prescribed, and 10.9% of the time a statin was given, a pain reliever was later recommended.
A major Ontario study found 24 common medication chains in which one drug’s side effects can be mistaken for a new medical problem, leading to another prescription. Researchers say closer medication reviews, pharmacist involvement, and automated alerts could help prevent these potentially harmful ...