(based on article in December 13 2004 Business Week)
don't use new drugs for several years after they've been developed unless they are a breakthrough - first and only cure for a given ailment or clearly and significantly more effective than older drugs
- older drugs can be significantly cheaper
- tried and true, older drugs are more well tested, while new drugs often have problems that come to light through consumer use
ask a doctor thoroughly about drug, reasons for using it over another, potential problems
check the internet - medical and other sights have lots of information available on drugs, often significantly before that information is released as 'news' to the general public.
- oregonrx.org compares effectiveness of various drugs