Let The Patient Beware    • Share   • Read Later WASHINGTON,
D.C.: Even though American doctors and hospitals spend $75
billion every year treating patients who suffer life-threatening
reactions to prescription drugs, Americans often can get better
information on the snack food and cars they buy than the
medicines they take. Even so, the Senate is debating a provision
to block an FDA plan to make more complete drug information
available. "The nation spends as much to cure the illnesses
caused by prescription drugs as we spend on the drugs
themselves," said Senator Edward Kennedy, who is fighting to
preserve the FDA initiative. Fewer than half of those using
prescription medicines know much more than how often the average
person should take them, according to the American
Pharmaceutical Association. Yet many serious overdoses (and
deaths) occur in elderly patients or others who cannot handle
the typical amount of a drug, who do not know that they are
allergic to it, or who inadvertently create toxic combinatio