WA Chiropractors Echo Concerns About Drug Safety
Chiropractors in WA have echoed concerns raised in the Weekend West (29th August 2015) where it was reported that dangerous medications such as narcotic analgesics, drugs used to treat heart problems and high blood pressure, as well as medications to manage diabetes and serious psychiatric conditions were poisoning WA children. Of great concern was the statistic that more than 780 instances in the last year related to paracetamol products such as Panadol and ibuprofen pills such as Nurofen. According to Kidsafe chief executive Scott Phillips; “Parents still tend to think of poisoning risk coming from bleaches and cleaning products but more and more we’re seeing medications implicated”. Figures from Kidsafe WA reveal more than 500 childhood poisonings were treated at Princess Margaret Hospital’s emergency department in 2013-14, with more than half involving pharmaceutical substances, many of them over-the-counter paracetamol. Other serious cases involved a two-year-old boy with toxic levels of iron after swallowing his mother’s iron tablets and a three-year-old found confused and agitated after taking antipsychotic medication.
Many newer homes did not have an out-of-reach medicines cabinet with child-resistant locks. Mr Phillips said consumer demand for easy-to-swallow pills meant increasingly medications were smaller, sweet-flavoured and looked like lollies, which could confuse children. Mr Phillips said the agency often used images of pills and lollies mixed up in a pile to show parents how similar they looked. He urged parents never to refer to medicines or vitamins as lollies when trying to persuade children to take them. Chiropractors Association of WA president Dr Warren Genders said “Chiropractors have always maintained that people need to be very aware that all drugs are potentially dangerous, even those people think are safe because you can buy them at the supermarket. Paracetamol toxicity is the foremost cause of acute liver failure in the Western world, and accounts for most drug overdoses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Chiropractors have always recommended saying ”NO” to non essential drugs! Legal or illegal, prescription or over the counter, as they can be potentially harmful. Iatrogenesis (harm caused by physicians) is a huge and growing problem in health care and drugs are a leading cause” he said.
Source: The Weekend West “Children poisoned” Cathy O’Leary August 29, 2015, 1:00 am https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29378586/children-poisoned/
For More Information or Media Enquiries:
Please contact the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia (WA) Ltd – 09 9386 2525
Dr Warren Genders
President
CAA (WA) Ltd
www.caawa.com.au