Unintentional poisoning by prescription drugs is increasing

Poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S. The rates of unintentional poisoning deaths have been on the rise for more than 15 years, and unintentional poisoning has surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of unintentional injury death among people 35-54 years of age. In a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers found that hospitalizations for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers in the U.S. have increased by 65% from 1999 to 2006.
Read article at physorg.com

Sedatives and hypnotics are both associated with increased risk of suicide in the elderly

Read article at physorg.com

Three patients have died after being given large doses of a commonly used sedative, a health watchdog has warned.

Three patients died 'after being given too high a dose of sedative'
article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) said that almost 500 patients in total have received the wrong dose of the drug, called midazolam, over the past four years.

Midazolam is used to sedate patients before minor procedures, including setting broken wrists and dentistry.

The medication hit the headlines in 2000 when a male nurse was convicted of killing a colleague after drugging her with midazolam.

As well as the three deaths another 48 patients had been "moderately" harmed by receiving large doses of the drug in the past four years, the NPSA said.

The watchdog, part of the NHS, also warned that health professionals were frequently relying on a reversing agent to bring people around after they had been over-sedated.

The drug works by slowing down both the heart and lung rate, and can cause a heart attack or lung problems if given in very high doses.

The NPSA said that it had received 498 reports of patients being given the wrong dose of midazolam between November 2004 and November 2008.

It warned that patients were being given whole containers, or ampoules, of the drug instead of just a small amount.

"The presentation of high strength midazolam as a 5mg/ml (2ml and 10ml ampoules) or 2mg/ml (5ml ampoule) exceeds the dose required for most patients," the watchdog warned in a statement.

"There is a risk that the entire contents of high strength ampoules are administered to the patient when only a fraction of this dose is required.

"There is frequent reliance on injectable flumazenil (antagonist/reversing agent) for reversal of sedation in patients that have been over-sedated."

The NPSA called for high-strength midazolam to be removed from many parts of hospitals."

Alzheimer's sufferers dying in sedative drug 'scandal'

Alzheimer's sufferers dying in drug 'scandal' - Guardian

Extract:

"A class of drugs widely prescribed for people suffering from dementia is leading to the premature deaths of thousands of patients every year, according to research published today. Campaigners branded the continued use of the sedatives, called neuroleptics, a national scandal after a five-year study revealed that people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are twice as likely to die if they are prescribed them.

Neuroleptics are widely prescribed to help control symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia including agitation, hallucinations and erratic behaviour, despite only being licensed for use in people suffering from schizophrenia. The research suggests they are of little benefit to patients with milder symptoms, greatly increase their risk of dying prematurely, and that 45% of Alzheimer's patients in care homes are prescribed a neuroleptic drug."

Prescribed medications are often harmful and often inappropriately prescribed (as in these cases) and very poorly monitored. I doubt that the negligent prescribing will be punished at all...