Medical advancements over the last century have greatly expanded the average person’s lifespan and cured diseases that were once epidemics. No one would argue against the benefits of modern medicine, but that doesn’t mean that prescription drugs are always safe. It is hard to watch television without seeing a commercial for a new prescription drug followed shortly by a legal advertisement for people adversely affected by another. There are several problems with the prescription drug market, and in this case, what you don’t know really could hurt you.
FDA Testing
Most people live under the comfortable belief that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performs tests on all new drugs, but this simply isn’t the case. The companies that manufacture these drugs are actually the ones that choose which companies will do their research. Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC recently did a report showing that many companies outsource their drug testing to foreign nations, and the results were startling.
Hansen discovered two drug testing companies in India that were fully prepared to start testing a drug with the exact same ingredients as Vioxx, a prescription drug that was pulled off of the market for causing strokes and other detrimental side effects. One company even knew that the drug was Vioxx, and still said there was a fifty percent chance it would be approved. Eighty percent of clinical trials are now done outside of the United States, and the only thing scarier than these lax regulations is the fact that the FDA inspects less than one percent of these foreign drug testing facilities.
Safely Using Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs are meant to be beneficial, but they can also be deadly. According to lawyers involved in the recent Pradaxa lawsuit cases, anyone who takes a drug that is new on the market is taking the risk that there could be long-term side effects that were not discovered, or even searched for, during clinical trials. The absolute best advice that anyone can give is to follow a doctor’s instructions exactly when taking a new drug; this can prevent interactions, side effects and the development of drug abusing behavior.
Patients can also avoid potentially deadly drug interactions by informing their doctors and pharmacy of all medications that they are on. Some prescription drugs aren’t even safe to take with aspirin, so it is imperative to fully and accurately answer a doctor when he asks if you take any medications whatsoever. Getting all of your medications from the same pharmacy can also help prevent possible interactions.
It is also important for a person to know the names of the medications that they’re on and what they’re used for. Being able to recognize the side effects is important as well. This knowledge could prove lifesaving if a medical emergency ever presents itself. It is also pertinent to ask your doctor what to do in the event that you miss a dose. Taking a double dose of medication when it isn’t prescribed could lead to serious side effects and possibly even addiction.
Prescription drugs benefit a massive amount of people, but it seems as if the cost of this is the health and sometimes lives of others. Prescription drug interactions, side effects, abuse and even testing are becoming serious detriments on the lives of numerous people. It’s unfortunate that the FDA cannot fully protect the public from dangerous legal drugs, so it is imperative that people take their own steps to remain safe.
Shelby Warden is a legal researcher and contributing author for Doyle Raizner LLP, trial lawyers that are currently evaluating Pradaxa lawsuit claims for patients who have been harmed by the medication. Pradaxa is an anti-coagulant that is proving to have potentially severe and fatal side effects. Since entering the market in 2010, reports of deaths associated with the use of Pradaxa were more than seven times higher than reports for any other blood thinner.
FDA Testing
Most people live under the comfortable belief that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performs tests on all new drugs, but this simply isn’t the case. The companies that manufacture these drugs are actually the ones that choose which companies will do their research. Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC recently did a report showing that many companies outsource their drug testing to foreign nations, and the results were startling.
Hansen discovered two drug testing companies in India that were fully prepared to start testing a drug with the exact same ingredients as Vioxx, a prescription drug that was pulled off of the market for causing strokes and other detrimental side effects. One company even knew that the drug was Vioxx, and still said there was a fifty percent chance it would be approved. Eighty percent of clinical trials are now done outside of the United States, and the only thing scarier than these lax regulations is the fact that the FDA inspects less than one percent of these foreign drug testing facilities.
Safely Using Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs are meant to be beneficial, but they can also be deadly. According to lawyers involved in the recent Pradaxa lawsuit cases, anyone who takes a drug that is new on the market is taking the risk that there could be long-term side effects that were not discovered, or even searched for, during clinical trials. The absolute best advice that anyone can give is to follow a doctor’s instructions exactly when taking a new drug; this can prevent interactions, side effects and the development of drug abusing behavior.
Patients can also avoid potentially deadly drug interactions by informing their doctors and pharmacy of all medications that they are on. Some prescription drugs aren’t even safe to take with aspirin, so it is imperative to fully and accurately answer a doctor when he asks if you take any medications whatsoever. Getting all of your medications from the same pharmacy can also help prevent possible interactions.
It is also important for a person to know the names of the medications that they’re on and what they’re used for. Being able to recognize the side effects is important as well. This knowledge could prove lifesaving if a medical emergency ever presents itself. It is also pertinent to ask your doctor what to do in the event that you miss a dose. Taking a double dose of medication when it isn’t prescribed could lead to serious side effects and possibly even addiction.
Prescription drugs benefit a massive amount of people, but it seems as if the cost of this is the health and sometimes lives of others. Prescription drug interactions, side effects, abuse and even testing are becoming serious detriments on the lives of numerous people. It’s unfortunate that the FDA cannot fully protect the public from dangerous legal drugs, so it is imperative that people take their own steps to remain safe.
Shelby Warden is a legal researcher and contributing author for Doyle Raizner LLP, trial lawyers that are currently evaluating Pradaxa lawsuit claims for patients who have been harmed by the medication. Pradaxa is an anti-coagulant that is proving to have potentially severe and fatal side effects. Since entering the market in 2010, reports of deaths associated with the use of Pradaxa were more than seven times higher than reports for any other blood thinner.
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