Canadians over-drugged, over-diagnosed: study

A new study says that family physicians are improperly prescribing drugs and ordering too many diagnostic tests.

The joint federal-provincial study by the Health Council of Canada found wide discrepancies in prescription patterns between regions, inappropriate prescriptions in certain patient groups, and evidence of industry influence on family physicians. Up to 30 per cent of MRI and CT scans ordered by family physicians may be unnecessary. The report says that physicians are being swayed by drug company representatives and an influx of new drugs each year. There have been 900 new drugs introduced to the market in the past five years. Representatives for family physicians countered the study by pointing to evidence that people who regularly visit their family doctor are healthier than other Canadians.