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JAMA. 1970;211(4):654.

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When a physician prescribes a drug, he has an obligation to warn the patient about the drug's potential for causing adverse reactions, especially the more serious ones. For example, the possibility of drowsiness resulting from an antihistamine can be serious for an automobile driver. He should be instructed to refrain from driving until, by personal observation, he notes whether the drug will have that effect on him. If it does, adjustment of dosage or of time of driving will solve the problem.

For some patients the physician has a similar responsibility to warn about the dangers of overthe-counter drugs. Consider the ubiquitous aspirin, pure or mixed with other ingredients that enable a sales pitch. For most people, aspirin is a good remedy for minor discomforts. But for patients with peptic ulcer or various bleeding tendencies it can be dangerous, and they should be instructed to refrain from use.

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Footnotes
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