Are Your Prescriptions Safe?

Are Your Prescriptions Safe?

In June of 2012, a batch of 17,000 methylprednisolone acetate vials became tainted with a fungus. The tainted vials were shipped out to medical facilities throughout America. By October 10, 137 Americans came down with fungal meningitis because of those shots. Twelve of those people died. Experts talking to NBC News claim that because of fungal meningitis’ long incubation period, more cases and possibly more deaths will be expected. The fungal meningitis outbreak is only the latest in a series of drug recalls over the past few years.

Just how safe are modern medications? Many people wrongly assume that if a product is available legally then it is safe. That’s not the case. For example, the company that made the bad batch of methylprednisolone acetate, the New England Compounding Center, did not have to get their medication approved from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because it was a compound drug. They were approved by state boards.

Consumers take their chances with prescription medications in the same way they would with home remedies. Just because a doctor recommends taking a certain drug does not mean that drug is completely safe. No drug is 100% safe. Whenever you take a new prescription, you may wind up needing the services of a legal firm like The Killino Firm. Such a trustworthy firm can help you combat the suffering you have had because of unsafe drugs.

Who could have predicted that zolpiderm, a drug to cure insomnia, would cause some people to get in their car and drive while fully asleep? The manufacturer of zolpidem should have known but managed to get their product approved. Pharmaceutical companies that make a drug are the very companies that sponsor expensive clinical drug trials. The FDA estimates that it costs a drug company about $350 million to bring just one drug to market. It should be no surprise that sometimes shortcuts are made.

Another problem in medication safety is the practice of prescribing drugs off-label. For example, many doctors prescribe blood pressure medication for their patients that suffer from migraines. That medication has not undergone clinical testing for effectiveness against migraines. Doctors network to discover if current drugs on the market can help for more conditions than the drug company tested it for. Before starting a new prescription medication, read the warnings carefully. Let trusted friends and family members know about this new medication so they can help keep an eye out for bad side effects. Contact a doctor immediately if strange side effects start.

Post by Becky Wilcox.