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LATimes examines suspected risks of bisphosphonates

If you take drugs for osteoporosis, read this… The Los Angeles Times (3/22, Adams) reports, “Long-term use of osteoporosis drugs seems to change bones in a way that could lead to unusual leg fractures, according to two reports presented earlier this month at a meeting of orthopedic surgeons. Doctors have reported seeing the unusual fractures … Read more

FDA says highest available dose of Zocor may cause muscle damage

If you take a high dose of Zocor, 80 mg., then you should talk to your doctor about this… The AP (3/19) reported that the FDA “said Friday the highest available dose of Zocor [simvastatin]…can cause muscle damage as well as severe and potentially lethal kidney damage.” Reuters (3/20) reported that the FDA, in a … Read more

FDA adds boxed warning to prevent Plavix drug injury

If you take Plavix, you’ll want to read this. Apparently, some patients are not responding to the medication, leaving them unprotected against heart attacks and strokes. The AP (3/13, Perrone) reported that the FDA “is adding its strongest warning to the label for Plavix [clopidogrel bisulfate], cautioning that some patients do not respond to the … Read more

Drug companies turning to private physicians to promote products

  Drug companies are finding ways to circumvent the rules and get more off-label uses for medications… The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (3/14, Fauber) reported, “For years, drug companies sought out influential university doctors with impressive credentials to bring their message to other doctors and persuade them to write prescriptions for their products.” But as “the … Read more

Similar drug names, bottles cause thousands of mistakes annually

ABC World News (3/5, story 6, 2:55, Sawyer) reported on how some drug bottles look alike and how the FDA “said it gets thousands of reports of such mix-ups every year.” The FDA’s Dr. Gerald Pan said, “Today’s near-miss, today’s medication error that doesn’t cause harm to somebody could cause harm to someone tomorrow.” ABC … Read more

Avandia Drug Injury Discussed In New Senate Report

  In a front-page story, the New York Times (2/20, A1, Harris) reported, “Hundreds of people taking Avandia [rosiglitazone], a controversial diabetes medicine, needlessly suffer heart attacks and heart failure each month, according to confidential government reports.” A Senate Finance Committee review cites internal FDA documents that highlight a dispute among regulators that “has been … Read more

Lawsuit seeks to stop over-prescription of psychiatric drugs to children

  McClatchy (2/11, Holland) reported, “An Alaska mental health advocacy group that has spent years battling the pharmaceutical industry over medication is suing more than a dozen Alaska child psychiatrists, saying the doctors unnecessarily drugged children and committed Medicaid fraud.” The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights “filed as a whistleblower on behalf of the United … Read more

New Scientific Studies Show Further Evidence of Avandia Dangers

The American Diabetes Association has accepted for publication in its prestigious medical journal, Diabetes Care, a study by Harvard researchers that shows users of the diabetes drug Avandia© have more than double the risk of a heart attack compared to other diabetes drugs. Further, a jointly sponsored study by both GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of the … Read more