Fatal consequences of self-medication: JMO warns against overdosing on common drugs

• Taking an overdose of paracetamol is particularly dangerous

By Chamil Rupasinghe  

JMO Peradeniya Teaching Hospital Dr. Prabhath Serasinghe  said self-medication and the use of drugs overdose resulted in the  death of patients quite often as revealed by several recent postmortem  examinations.   

Addressing a seminar at the Kandy District Secretariat  Auditorium yesterday organized by the Ministry of Justice, he said the  patients should take only the prescribed dose of medicine, but several  patients had died of overdose. He pointed out that taking an overdose of  drugs in the category of paracetamol had caused the danger.   
“Patients who take treatments for more than one ailment  should not keep it a secret to a doctor when seeking treatment for  another. Varying compounds in drugs of different manufacturers could  perhaps result in death. The JMOs are able to reveal the facts with the  help of laboratory tests and through forensic medicine,” he said.  “In addition to their laboratory role, forensic scientists  testify as expert witnesses in the criminal and civil cases, and they  can work for either the prosecution or the defence,” he further said.   

Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Justice Krishanthi  Meegahapola, Director (Reforms) Thilini Gammunage and several senior  officials were present at the occasion.