No 84: Bad Pharma and badly written BNF

Book recommendations wanted!

https://amzn.to/3UUd0J5

I can't recommend Dr Ben Goldacre's books enough. I have just re-listened to Bad Pharma and loved it. It always provokes so many queries.

First query, does anyone know of any book or website that details drug side effects (SE) in a vaguely useful way?

For every drug we prescribe, I'd like to know how common it is. What is the frequency? What is the severity? How long does the SE tend to last? Do you advise patient to push through or stop?

Also, how often do you get combinations of SE? And what is the likely SE profile if you take other drug combinations?

Second, can anyone please recommend a book or website that lists all of the drugs that have ever been withdrawn from practice?

I am sure there is much we could learn from understanding the history of how drugs were found, marketed, released, used and then withdrawn.

I'd also like to know roughly how many patients need to report harm on average before a drug is withdrawn or the regulators make a fuss? Also, is it widely different for different Medications and vaccines?

Third and last, the BNF is becoming huge. I would really love someone to make or recommend a book/website that lists only the gold standard Medications for use by GPs that we can truly trust to have reliable evidence of benefit. Maybe even just the top drug in each class with the best evidence to support it.

I imagine this book would be much shorter than the BNF and easier for students and new GPs to learn!

Let me know your thoughts and if you have any recommendations.