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Looking on Wikipedia for drug information? Think again
2008-12-05 22:58:26 (GMT) (Caymanmama.com - Health News News)
Wikipedia health information is found to be inaccurate and potentially risky for users conducting health-related Internet
Austin, Texas (CaymanMama.com) — Virtually any type of information can be found on the Internet and new websites are created constantly that make information more accessible and interactive.
For those that use the user-edited Web resource Wikipedia for health information on medications, they may want to think again. According to Reuters, anyone who uses Wikipedia is potentially exposing themselves to great risk for harmful drug interactions and adverse effects, new research indicates.
Dr. Kevin A. Clauson of Nova Southeastern University in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and his team identified several factual errors in their analysis of the online, free encyclopedia’s entries on 80 drugs.
Surprisingly, “these entries were often missing important information, for example the fact that the anti-inflammatory drug Arthrotec (diclofenac and misoprostol) can cause pregnant women to miscarry, or that St. John’s wort can interfere with the action of the HIV drug Prezista (darunavir).”
One of the alluring things about the website is that users add and edit content themselves making it an information free-for-all.
Clauson’s team embarkedon an investigation to determine the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the drug information on Wikipedia. Approximately one third of users conducting health-related Internet queries are seeking information on over-the-counter or prescription drugs, and often times, a Wikipedia result is the first to appear with a Google search.
“If people went and used this as a sole or authoritative source without contacting a health professional…those are the types of negative impacts that can occur,” Clauson told Reuters Health.
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