Challenging the FDA and Drug Industry

Many in today's society are quickly realizing that just because the Federal Drug Administration approved a drug, doesn't mean that it's safe. An example of this is actor Dennis Quaid, who nearly lost his newborn twins when they were given an excessive dosage of Heparin. While the labels of the two bottles look nearly identical, the dosage that the Quaid twins received was 1,000 times larger than the amount they should have consumed. Although the company warned hospitals and requested label changes, they didn't take the drug off of the market.

According to Healthgrades, almost 250,000 patients studied between 2003 and 2005 died from potentially preventable problem dealing with improper medication use. The Institute of Medicine approximates that 1.5 million patients suffer the consequences of medication mistakes.

Despite these dangerous errors, the Bush Administration has attempted to pass a bill of goods to the courts, under the grounds that states don't have the right to hold a company accountable for selling a product that has been approved by the federal government. This, many medical experts agree, would be a grave mistake and ultimately would harm drug safety.

An important case to cite is that of Vioxx. In this example, Vioxx was approved by the FDA in 1998, even though it could potentially cause heart attack, stroke, or other severe cardiovascular problems. This is a great example of why the court system is so important. Medical experts remind us that it is absolutely paramount that a drug be constantly monitored during the post-marketing period, as it is possible that new serious safety issues may arise only after a drug has entered the market.

Mistakes in the practice of medicine, especially dealing with medication, are often life-changing and sometimes irreversible. As we handle a considerable number of medical malpractice cases each year, the Law Offices of Samuel I. Bernstein urges you to find an experienced lawyer who will fight on your behalf.