International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine - Volume 19, issue 1-2

Authors: van Boxtel, Chris J.

Article Type: Other

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 1-2, 2007

Authors: Breggin, Peter R.

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 3-15, 2007

Authors: Healy, David | Herxheimer, Andrew | Menkes, David B.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Recent regulatory warnings about adverse behavioural effects of antidepressants in susceptible individuals have raised the profile of these issues with clinicians, patients, and the public. We review available clinical trial data on paroxetine and sertraline and pharmacovigilance studies of paroxetine and fluoxetine, and outline a series of medico-legal cases involving antidepressants and violence. Both clinical trial and pharmacovigilance data point to possible links between these drugs and violent behaviours. The legal cases outlined returned a variety of verdicts that may in part have stemmed from different judicial processes. Many jurisdictions appear not to have considered the possibility that a prescription …drug may induce violence. The association of antidepressant treatment with aggression and violence reported here calls for more clinical trial and epidemiological data to be made available and for good clinical descriptions of the adverse outcomes of treatment. Legal systems are likely to continue to be faced with cases of violence associated with the use of psychotropic drugs, and it may fall to the courts to demand access to currently unavailable data. The problem is international and calls for an international response. Show more

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 17-33, 2007

Authors: Herxheimer, Andrew

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 35-40, 2007

Authors: Ritlewski, Kristoff M.

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 41-56, 2007

Authors: Kapp, Marshall B.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Following a summary of the American legal doctrine of informed consent and its ethical underpinnings and a description of the risk management reasons that health care providers should comply with the legal requirements associated with this doctrine, this article presents a preliminary argument for an additional incentive for such compliance. Specifically, this article enunciates the outline of a business case for informed consent in health care in the United States, urging by analogy to the widely advocated business case for quality and safety in health care that more conscientious adherence to the principles of informed consent will serve the self-interests …of health care providers trying to maintain financial viability within an increasingly competitive marketplace for patients. Show more

Keywords: Informed consent, autonomy, malpractice, liability, competition, consumer direction, economics

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 57-64, 2007

Authors: Kean, Brian

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the Memory of Professor Nadine Lambert, October 21 1926 – April 26 2006. There is a paradox that the amphetamine class of drugs used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are also abused widely in society. This article reviews possible legal issues related to the topic and the historical discourse concerning addiction associated with the use of amphetamines and methylphenidate for the treatment of ADHD, Lambert's theories and the research counterclaims that are used to support the pharmaceutical manufacturer's report that ‘adequate treatment of ADHD may reduce the risk of substance abuse’. …There are limitations in the Lambert studies and also limitations with other studies in the area. Further research and independent scientific and statistical analyses are required to determine any definitive conclusion. The author concludes that the claim and counterclaims cannot easily be resolved without a significant independent international inquiry. Show more

Keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), children rights, risks, amphetamines, methylphenidate hydrochloride, substance abuse, addiction, substance use disorder

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 65-74, 2007

Authors: Hugman, Bruce

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The impact of medical litigation and its controversial and damaging consequences are reviewed, along with a number of the proposals for tort and other reforms. As an important effect of the threat of litigation, the practice of defensive medicine is discussed. Proposals are made for improvements in the quality of doctor–patient relationships as a significant contribution to improved clinical care and reduction in the risk of doctors being sued.

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 75-86, 2007

Authors: Dukes, M.N. Graham | 't Hoen, Ellen

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 87-91, 2007

Authors: Hartigan-Go, Kenneth Y. | Curameng, Jose Miguel B.

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 93-97, 2007