To be informed about choices (Do medication reviews have a place on dooyoo?)

Name: Delicate_Orchid1

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Product:	Do medication reviews have a place on dooyoo?
Date:	24.08.06 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: gives consumers information about products - especially if new and over-the-counter

Disadvantages: not a good substitute for medical advice, un-balanced reviews can cause damage

There has been a lot of debate on whether reviews on medication should be posted on consumer review sites, including Dooyoo. It certainly is not an easy and clear-cut topic, although certain individuals feel strongly about the fact that the only place that medical advice should be obtained is from are doctors.


***Why write and read reviews on medication?***

So why do we consumers like to post reviews on medicine? I have written some, especially early on in my writing career. Through reading other writer's well-written medical reviews I quickly discovered that they are very easy to write. You start out describing the purpose of the product. You inform consumers whether it is available over the counter or by prescription. You mention the cost. You mention the recommended dosage. You list the possible side effects and dive straight into your personal opinion. And then you can post yet another review to earn you a few pennies. It's much easier than reviewing a technological gadget, as the package inlay gives you the bulk of your review.

Another reason for writing reviews on medicine is a sincere interest in helping other consumers. When I reviewed Migraleve, for example, I was keen to add my own experience and help consumers who might suffer from the same horrible migraines that I suffer from.

And why do we like to read reviews on medicine? I think when it comes to over-the-counter medication, especially drugs like cough medicine and painkillers, consumers are just overwhelmed with choice. A new product comes on the market and we wonder if it will be any good. Reading about other consumers' experiences with such products gives us a little more basic information - information that is actually rarely provided by GP's, who rather prescribe something else. And when it comes to a choice between various prescription medicines, especially something as widely taken as the contraceptive pill, it is interesting to read about the different options that are available to us. Our GPs are overworked - they will not sit there and give us a list of 10 different contraceptive pills that are available to us and tell us their pros and cons. They will simply prescribe one - and if it does not work or if there are side effects, they will simply prescribe another one.


***The pros and cons of reviews on medication on consumer review sites***

As mentioned above, I think the biggest merit of including reviews on medications on consumer review sites is information. It allows consumers to learn about different products that they may have considered buying, but knew little about. Is that really such a bad thing? Face it, if it is an over-the-counter drug, it is likely to have any highly adverse consequences on you - after all, if it would be dangerous, the British Medical Association would not make it freely available. You may buy some Sudafed cough medicine because I said in a review that it worked for my persistent cough - but if it does not work for you, you will simply be a little annoyed, perhaps write your own review on your experience to give us a balanced set of opinions - and then you will throw it away and never use it again. How is that any different to you buying a shampoo that someone claims to give your hair extreme volume, but which leaves your own hair absolutely flat?

And conversely, if I am recommending a prescription drug that worked for me, there is no real danger to your well-being, simply because you will not be able to obtain it that easily. You will still need to visit your GP and ask for him or her to prescribe it to you, at which stage it is their job to consider whether it is indeed appropriate for you. So if you like the sound of a certain contraceptive pill you never heard about before, a review posted on Dooyoo gives you the information you need to go to your GP and ask whether this may be a good option for you. It does not instantly lead to you taking a drug that may (or may not) affect you differently than it has affected the writer of the review.

The main problem lies in the quality of reviews on medication. In order to be helpful to consumers, they need to be balanced and include a lot of disclaimers. Often someone is really disappointed with a product and the next thing they will do is to log onto Dooyoo or another review site, warning consumers off the certain product wholeheartedly without giving any further details on the product. Conversely, they may post a review stating that the drug is "simply the best product on the market", failing to state the side effects that some patients may experience. This is where such reviews become dangerous. Few of us reviewers are doctors or nurses - and as such we should not write a review on medication that is unqualified. In addition, we should always include the disclaimer that consumers should obtain advice from their GP or a pharmacist.


***So how do we solve this dilemma?***

I would be a little disappointed to see medical reviews disappear from Dooyoo completely, however, I do think that unlike some other product categories, there should be some quality control. A short review with an unqualified statement on whether the product is good or bad will neither help us consumers nor will it do the drug manufacturers any favours.

Perhaps this is one category where posting should not be automatic, but where someone, for example a Dooyoo Guide, must cast an eye on it before the review can make it on the site. I am not talking about superbly strict controls here - I am just talking about avoiding those reviews that are easily recognisable as an unqualified statement of disappointment or happiness about a medication to be posted on the site. Of course, this may all be administratively difficult and not feasible.


***Conclusion***

There is an inherent danger in allowing reviews on medicines to be posted without some kind of quality control. The hypochondriac consumer that is easily convinced about the merits of certain drugs may be tempted by a review simply stating that a drug is a miracle product without listing its pros and cons. Conversely, a consumer may do a lot of damage to a drug manufacturer by merely posting a rant or anger about the effects that a certain product has had on him or her.

As much as I would like to see reviews on medication have their place on Dooyoo and other consumer review sites, I believe that if quality control is not feasible because of an excessive administrative burden, it would be best for everyone to simply shut the category down completely.

Summary: If reviews on medication are to remain, there will need to be quality control.