E-DRUG: Evidence for drug regimens
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I would certainly second John Urquhart's observation about the degree of
scientific (un)certainty behind recommendations about drug regimens.
In the research that we did for Drugs of Choice (a prescribing guide
listing first and second line drug recommendations for 190 conditions for
which primary care doctors would initiate therapy) we came across numerous
examples where dosing regimens were highly variable depending on the
source of the material. Similarly, the evidence behind the recommendations
also varied widely.
Joel Lexchin
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Joel Lexchin MD
121 Walmer Rd.
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M5R 2X8
Phone: +416-964-7186
Fax: +416-923-9515
e mail: joel.lexchin@utoronto.ca
[same experience with drafting South Africa's Standard Treatment
Guidelines: maybe in 40% of the cases did we find hard evidence-based facts
in the Cochrane CD database. The Cochrane Collaboration recognises this,
and is looking for developing countries' researchers to undertake more
systematic reviews for tropical diseases etc. to bridge the non-evidence
gap. WB]
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