{
  "id": 8575539,
  "title": "Crushing drugs can reduce efficacy, worsen side effects, say pharmacists",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/crushing-drugs-can-reduce-efficacy-worsen-side-effects-say-pharmacists",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-20T00:17:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/crushing-drugs-can-reduce-efficacy-worsen-side-effects-say-pharmacists/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Crushing modified-release tablets can cause medicines designed to be released gradually to enter the body too quickly, exposing patients to toxic effects, severe side effects and treatment failure, pharmacists have warned. They explained that modified-release medicines are specially formulated to control how quickly or where their active ingredients are released in the body. The pharmacists Read…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Crushing drugs can reduce efficacy, worsen side effects, say pharmacists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/crushing-drugs-can-reduce-efficacy-worsen-side-effects-say-pharmacists-8577051",
        "published": "2026-09-20T00:17:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}