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Did you see the Business Week cover that blares “Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?” The story concludes that the benefits of statins are overstated except among certain high-risk groups.

And this is only one concern recently raised about the safety and efficacy of commonly used drugs. Questions about the increased heart attack risk for those who take Avandia to treat diabetes, the lack of benefit of Zetia in lowering cholesterol, and the risks from the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa have all received extensive media attention.

As someone who has always pretty much taken for granted the safety and efficacy of most legal drugs, I find myself unnerved by what look like a long string of failures: (1) failure on the part of scientists to analyze data appropriately; (2) failure on the part of pharmaceutical companies, scientists and physicians to represent evidence clearly; and (3) apparent failure on the part of the FDA to fulfill its mandate to regulate the safety and efficacy of drugs and devices.

Most of us hold on to the naïve notion that if “they” let us have “it,” it must be OK. But media coverage suggests we’re vulnerable because “they” are wily, money-grubbing corporations or incompetent government bureaucrats, none of whom has our interests at heart, and that “it” may be neither effective nor safe.

For those who pay some attention to the news, these stories either confirm that things really are going to hell in a handbasket or they escalate alarm: no drugs are safe; few work as claimed; health professionals, health plans and drug companies are not to be trusted.

For those who pay little attention to the news, these stories add to the growing gap between people who know that benefiting from health care requires that they demand good answers to hard questions and those who slide by, trusting that whatever drugs or devices or procedures they use won’t hurt them – and who passively accept the consequences.

Some health policy experts note that despite the wide variations in knowledge and assertiveness among patients, the population is generally healthier now than ever, so what’s the difference? Others anticipate that everyone taking statins will bring that Business Week article to their next appointment and quiz their doctor on her reasons for prescribing them.

Neither view is realistic nor fair. While we might believe that if only the FDA performed well and if only drug companies weren’t so greedy, we could have confidence in the whole enterprise, this isn’t going to happen.

So what is realistic and fair? More to the point, how vigilant must we be? What do we need to know – and do – to get safe, effective drugs?

I am wary of the expectation that all of us – me, my 81-year-old mom, and the guy who sells books in the street outside my office – will now invest hours of our time becoming sufficiently expert in the intricacies of clinical trials to challenge our physicians’ prescription decisions.

Older Antiviral Drugs Limited in Preventing, Treating Flu in Children
The antiviral drug amantadine can prevent some cases of influenza in children, and the related medication rimantadine can reduce fever in youngsters who have the flu, according to a new review of evidence. The benefits are modest, however.

Little Evidence That Psychotherapy Helps Elderly With Depression
The jury is still out on whether psychotherapy can help older people with depression, according to a new review of recent research.

“ Abstinence-Plus” Programs Can Reduce Risky Sexual Behaviors in Youth
There is no evidence that programs promoting safer sex measures along with sexual abstinence lead to more sexually transmitted infections, according to a new review of studies comprising nearly 40,000 young people.

Antidepressants Can Help With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Common antidepressant drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft can be effective treatment options for obsessive compulsive disorder, according to a new review of studies.

Involved Patients Aren’t Always the Healthiest, Small Study Finds
Patients who say they want to take an active role in their health care could be unhealthier in some respects than patients who prefer to let their doctors lead the way, according to new research.

Study Supports ‘Decision Aids’ for Men Considering Prostate Test
Healthy middle-aged men who watch extensive online presentations about prostate cancer are more likely to understand the disease than those who simply visit health Web sites, according to a new study. The men are also slightly less inclined to undergo a routine but somewhat controversial prostate test.