Drug Companies Accountable for Damage

                                                                                         

The Purdue Pharma $634 million fine incurred for misleading the public, and doctors, about the addictiveness of OxyContin really made the headlines. But the Purdue fine is only the tip of the iceberg; billions of dollars are paid out in settlements every year for prescription drugs’ dangerous side effects, not the least of which is prescription drug addiction.

In 2007, Merck agreed to a $4.85 billion settlement for their Vioxx painkiller alone.

Big pharma is the most profitable industry going, but as the lawsuits pile up and cut into those dollars some drug companies are feeling the crunch.

Desperate to hold onto more of their ill-gotten money, drug companies waited with baited breath for the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Diana Levine, a Vermont guitarist who lost the use of her arm to gangrene after using an intravenous push injection injection of Phenergan, an anti-nausea drug made by Wyeth.

Levine said the warning label was inadequate, sued in her home state and was awarded $6.7 million. Wyeth appealed, affirming that they had fulfilled their obligations on a federal level, through the FDA, and were therefore immune to any state charges.

Had the appeal been successful, it would have set a precedent that could prevent any state from hearing a suit against a drug company, assuming their drug or device had FDA approval, and awarding damages.

The Supreme Court, however, upheld the Vermont verdict, much to the dismay of the drug companies.

A Merck spokesman said that state courts that accept suits and award damages are second-guessing the doctors and scientists at the FDA. Wyeth’s lawyer made a similar comment.

Judging by the number of deaths and injuries caused by prescription drugs the FDA approves, it’s clear that much more second-guessing has, in fact, been needed. The agency is apparently incapable of determining when a drug or device is safe and when it’s not, or they’ve been duped by the drug companies. Or both.

Have you been damaged by prescription drugs? Has someone you care about had to go into an addiction treatment center to get off them? Or worse?

The drug companies may not be on your side, but the law is. Drug companies are responsible for ensuring their drugs are safe. If their products have hurt you, they’re accountable. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your problem and stand up for your rights.

About the author:
Gloria MacTaggart is a freelance writer that contributes articles on health.

info@drugrehabreferral.com

http://www.drugrehabreferral.com


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