by Bonnie Minsky, M.A., M.P.H., L.D.N., C.N.S.
When people take physician prescribed drugs, they feel confident that their doctor has all the facts
regarding proper usage and side effects. They couldn’t be more wrong. Shocking prescription drug scandals in recent months “have eroded the U.S.
public’s confidence in the drug industry,” according to a July 2004 report in The British Medical Journal. “Only thirteen percent (13%)
of Americans believe that pharmaceutical companies are generally honest and trustworthy.”
Following are the highlights of just a few of the 2003-2004 drug company scandals:
q False Flu and Hepatitis Vaccine Information.
GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of hepatitis vaccines, was sent a warning letter by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) on July 6, 2004 for printing false and misleading information for the flu vaccine’s administration on their hepatitis vaccine
labels. The live influenza vaccine is not intended for pregnant women with medical conditions or for children between ages six months and five years
old. GlaxoSmithKline’s literature stated exactly the opposite; which according to the FDA, "creates a serious health public concern because it
could lead to incorrect administration" of the flu vaccine. The wrong information was of particular concern because it was distributed during the
height of the flu season. Glaxo was also reprimanded for failure to list critical safety warnings regarding their hepatitis vaccines.
q Schizophrenia Drug Maker Misleads Doctors.
Janssen Pharmaceutica Products LP, the makers of the popular medicine Risperdal®, was forced
by the FDA to notify doctors that they had minimized potentially fatal safety risks in their promotional materials. In particular, the FDA claimed
that Janssen minimized the risk of strokes, diabetes, and other fatal complications. Several boys also developed lactating breasts after taking
Risperdal®. The drug is prescribed to more than 10 million people worldwide, and totals $2.1 billion in annual sales.
q Statin Drug Overuse and Abuse.
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and other consumer health groups blasted new,
stricter cholesterol guidelines as being tainted by the statin drug industry when it was proven that all but one of the nine authors of the new
guidelines have financial ties to the statin drug industry.
While physician prescriptions for statin drugs have risen sharply (the new guidelines would add seven
million more Americans to the 36 million already on cholesterol-lowering medication), disturbing side effects have been reported, such as muscle
myalgia, exercise intolerance, rhabdomylosis, and heart failure. A recent study from the Archives of Neurology found that these adverse effects
may be due to the marked decrease in the blood concentration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Although Julian Whitaker, M.D., sent a petition to the FDA to
put warning labels on statin drug prescriptions regarding the CoQ10 problem, nothing has been done.
q For Some, Aspirin May Not Help Hearts.
For the millions of Americans who take doctor prescribed daily aspirin for heart health, it may be
disturbing to learn that between five and forty percent of those taking aspirin are non-responsive or resistant to the medication. More
shocking is an October 2003 report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that non-responsive or resistant individuals have an 80%
higher rate of death from heart attack or stroke compared to non-resistant individuals. Many physicians and patients are unaware that a simple
blood or urine test, taken in the doctor’s office, can assess aspirin non-responsiveness or resistance.
q The Truth About Crestor…Is It Dangerous?
In August 2003, the FDA gave its stamp of approval to Crestor® (rosuvastatin), the newest cholesterol-lowering drug. Yet, even before this drug was marketed, safety
concerns arose. In less than six months after its approval, cases of severe muscle damage, kidney failure, and death emerged. These alarming side
effects prompted the U.S. Public Citizen consumer health group to petition the FDA to ban Crestor®.
© Copyright 2004