Client: Burke, Harvey & Frankowski
Copyright 2008 Burke, Harvey & Frankowski
Defective Drugs
Prescription drugs are put through trials and tests subjected to the approval of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). The reality of the matter is that it is not uncommon for defective drugs to slip through the legalities and find their way onto the pharmacy shelves.
Often researchers downplay the dangers of new drugs so that the manufacturer can promote and sell the product. The FDA monitors the product once it has been placed on the market through a program that allows consumers and doctors to report issues such as:
� Serious side effects
� Medical errors
� Quality control issues
Once the defective drug has made it to the market, it will only be recalled if the side effects have been proven to be much more serious than originally anticipated up to and including the deaths of consumers.
Typically, if other more serious side effects are reported in a number of cases, the FDA will request that the manufacturer make changes to its label reflecting the new issues and may also issue a public warning about the drug. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for more serious and long term side effects to become evident long after the drug has been put on the market.
Some drugs under current FDA scrutiny are:
� Advair � Asthma medication now found to increase breathing problems for some asthma patients.
� Celebrex � Used for arthritis treatment, it may cause cardiovascular and gastrointestinal issues. This was the replacement drug for recalled Vioxx and Bextra.
� Procrit � Used to treat anemia patients and cancer patients who lack red blood cells from chemotherapy treatments, it has been linked to heart complications and deaths.
� Zyprexa � Used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, it is now being linked to blood sugar disorders and other health threatening side effects.
These are only a few of the many defective drugs currently being investigated for their dangers to consumers. For more information on your legal rights if you or a loved one has been prescribed a defective drug, contact Burke, Harvey and Frankowski today.