More than 10 per cent of hospital patients in France鈥�1.3 million people
each year鈥攕uffer from the ill effects of taking too many or wrongly
prescribed drugs, according to a report from the health ministry.
Bernard Kouchner, the health minister, criticised the 鈥渙verconsumption鈥� of
medicine in France, pointing out that the French consume twice as many
antibiotics and three times as many antidepressants as the English (鈥淭hank
heavens for little pills鈥�, New 女生小视频, 1 April 1995, p 14). More than half
the cases were caused by drugs given to patients while they were in
hospital.
