Could Yahoo! and Others Be Liable For The Proliferation Of False Medical Information?
Posted by Advocate Aaron on May 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment
The proliferation of incorrect medical information not only contributes to poor consumer decisions, it can end in disastrous, even fatal, results. Take a look at this Yahoo! Answers question in which a user asks about the safety of drinking alcohol while taking the antibiotic Bactrim (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071019184623AAsptBu). The “Best Answer” says that as long as there is no label indicating otherwise, it is safe.
But this is not true. Not all drug interactions are listed on labels. This information is often contained within the accompanying literature. The sad thing is that some people are likely to read this answer, pop a Bactrim and go on a drinking binge.
Bad idea, according to the Mayo Clinic: “Drinking any amount of alcohol with [Bactrim] can result in side effects such as flushing, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath.” (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antibiotics-and-alcohol/AN01802).
Or how about this example, again from Yahoo! Answers, in which the majority of the respondents declare that it is indeed safe to drink small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aui4gyeWKzLaUhUxWKftZpIjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20080803101610AAIgvqr). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly disagrees: “There is no known amount of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant.” (http://www.cdc.gov/Features/AlcoholFreePregnancy/).
No one, especially pregnant women, should take medical advice from anyone who is not a properly trained and qualified expert. Doing so puts your health – and your baby’s life – at severe risk.
I wonder if Yahoo! and similar publishers have considered the potential liabilities associated with publishing incorrect medical information?
