Rapid Responses to:

LETTERS: Tony Stevens and Roger Wilson Patients' interests: paramount in randomised trials BMJ 2005; 330: 44-a-45-a [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

pharmaceutics and doctors- for patients the choice is between the devil and the deep sea

Arvind Chopra   (17 January 2005)

pharmaceutics and doctors- for patients the choice is between the devil and the deep sea 17 January 2005
Arvind Chopra, Director & Consultant Rheumatologist Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Hermes Elegance, Convent St., Camp, Pune, India 411 001 Send response to journal: Re: pharmaceutics and doctors- for patients the choice is between the devil and the deep sea	Undoubtedly, the Coxibs brought in a fresh lease of breath to millions of patients suffering from painful arthritis- safety first along with promising efficacy.And not withstanding the well known idiosyncracy and unpredictablity in the therapeutic responses to NSAID, several thousands felt immense relief that often lasted for prolonged periods.I am sure many rheumatologists share my experience.We convinced patients. The patients believed us. Science progressed. The recent much hyped drug trials' based revelations about the Coxib toxicity are no less than the Tsunami disaster that hit us in the face without much ado.The pharmaceutics are on the run to protect their backs. The learned doctors have disowned everything that has anything to do with the Coxibs. There is no balanced view.Extremists have taken over the medical science. Go back and burn your gut with salicylates- try naprosyn because it has the least cardiovascular toxicity. The truth of the matter is that if several traditional NSAIDs and analgesics were to to go through the same scrutiny that the Coxibs have recently experienced, we would be left advising patients to munch cannabis or the cinchona tree bark to relive pain-or better still seek holistic relief elsewhere. My patients are disgusted. Can we doctors not handle science with better care and sanity? Should we not control the outputs from the pharmaceutics, and even protect them from unscruplous elements in the interest of patient care? Of what use is our so called endeavour in clinical trials to uphold the patients interests and safety ( ? of paramount importance). We ought to continuously educate the public and patients in particular. Only then can our much cherished medical discoveries like the Coxibs evolve into great medicines.And responsible doctors will always know how to handle medicines while they evolve. Competing interests: None declared