Study: Average Drug Label Lists 70 Side Effects

If reading the side effects listed on your drug labels makes your head spin, you're not alone. Researchers have found that the average drug label lists a whopping 70 potential side effects, but some contain up to 525!

In general, medications used by psychiatrists and neurologists (such as antidepressants) had the most complex labels, while drugs used by dermatologists and opthamologists had the least.

The researchers pointed out that many times possible interactions are listed on a label in order to protect the drug manufacturer from potential lawsuits - but they also make it difficult for physicians who are weighing the pros and cons of prescribing drugs to their patients.

The FDA has taken steps to discourage "overwarning" on labels, but information overload is still abundant. The researchers suggested that modern technology be utilized to create more streamlined labels that deliver personalized patient information. For example, these labels could highlight specific potential side effects that a patient should be most concerned about in light of their individual medical conditions.

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