[PR] Medicines and Driving - RSA

Victor

ROAD SAFETY AUTHORITY
Moy Valley, Ballina, Co. Mayo. www.rsa.ie

Dear Subscriber,
A new publication has been uploaded on the Road Safety Authority website, which you can review below.

Title: Medicines and Driving , Description:Medicines and Driving , Category:Road Safety

http://www.rsa.ie/publication/publication/upload/RSA_DL_medicine_web.pdf

Carawaystick

This statement would leave the RSA on shaky ground

"Never take medicines ... recommended for someone else."

I don't know what qualification they have to make such a sweeping statement like that?

Considering the ECJ has held that: ‘A product which is recommended
or described as having preventative or curative properties is a medicinal product
within the meaning of the provisions of Article 1.. of Council Directive
65/65/EEC…even if it is generally considered as a foodstuff and even if it has no
known therapeutic effect in the present state of scientific knowledge’

http://www.imb.ie/images/uploaded/documents/ADV-G0003_Guide_to_the_Definition_of_a_Human_Medicine_v1.pdf page 4

The RSA are saying not to take Ginger to cure nausea, or Don't use Manuka honey on a cut if someone recommends it as an infection prevention

The IMB should be running this campaign, not the RSA.

Victor

What they are saying is, if say your spouse is prescribed a prescription painkiller and you are in pain, don't use their painkiller.* Prescription drugs are restricted for good reasons.

* Assuming you aren't a doctor.

anotherlostie

That statement about not using another person's medicinal products is standard. It would be used by IMB, Pharmaceutical Society etc in their campaigns. Products like ginger and honey are considered as herbal medicines (as well of course as being foodstuffs).

The RSA campaign is a good idea IMO.

Carawaystick

Victor wrote: »

What they are saying is, if say your spouse is prescribed a prescription painkiller and you are in pain, don't use their painkiller.* Prescription drugs are restricted for good reasons.

* Assuming you aren't a doctor.

The full statement is
"Never take medicines prescribed or recommended for someone else."

only doctors and certain nurses can prescribe medicines. Anyone can recommend medicine, especially as the ECJ has decided in their great wisdom that ginger is a medicine.

It's a completely overreaching measure for the RSA to take, The IMB should decide what medicines would impair driving, and the rsa should reference this list.
Lay recommendations of harmless medicines, or the lack thereof will not improve road safety.

By all means draw attention to medicines that would impair driving