Defective Drug Information Lawyers
Mobile, Alabama
Most people trust their physicians to prescribe medications that will help them live a long, healthy life; what they do not expect is a defective drug prescription. However, the reality is that every year thousands of people suffer severe side effects, become seriously injured or even die by taking prescription and over-the-counter defective drugs that are believed to be safe. It is true that before a prescription drug is approved for marketing in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducts a series of trials and continues to monitor the drug. Unfortunately, many FDA-approved drugs are inadequately tested or have insufficient warning labels and can lead to minor or major health complications.
Drug safety study
A study published on September 10, 2007 by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania showed that the number of serious defective drug events more than doubled between 1998 and 2005 in the U.S. Serious adverse drug events increased from 34,966 in 1998 to 89,842 in 2005. Fatal defective drug events increased from 5,519 in 1998 to 15,107 in 2005. A total of 1,489 drugs were associated with adverse events, yet 51 drugs accounted for a high percentage of the overall problem.
The study analyzed all serious adverse drug events and medication errors reported to the FDA during that time period. A "serious defective drug event" was one that that results in death, a birth defect, disability, hospitalization or is life-threatening or requires intervention to prevent harm.
What drugs are in question?
Nearly all medications have side effects, but those of defective drugs can be alarming. The list below does not necessarily include "defective" drugs, but shows some of the complications that can arise with prescriptions drugs.
- Accutane — miscarriage and infant deaths, fetal malformations, mental retardation, heart defects, and facial abnormalities
- Aranesp — extreme high blood pressure, blood clots and death
- Aredia — Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ)
- Baycol — fatal rhabdomyolysis
- Bextra — increased risk of heart attack and stroke and the risk of a sometimes fatal skin reaction
- Celebrex — fatal heart disease
- Cialis — blindness and the loss of vision, hypotension, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death, and stroke
- Cold-Eeze — anosmia, or a loss of smell and taste
- Crestor — rhabdomyolysis or death of skeletal muscle cells
- Ephedra — serious heart complications
- Epogen — serious heart complications, heart attack, heart failure or stroke
- Fosamax — Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ)
- Ketek — life-threatening or fatal liver toxicity
- Lamisil — liver failure
- Levitra — vision loss, hypotension, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death, and stroke
- Metabolife — hypertension, heart palpitation, nerve damage, muscle injury, psychosis and memory loss, heart rate irregularities, and tremors
- Mobic — serious gastrointestinal adverse events including bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach or intestines
- Ortho Evra — blood clots in the legs and lungs and other clotting problems such as strokes and heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and deep vein thromboses (DVTs)
- Palladone — taken with alcohol, it increases levels of hydromorphone which may depress or stop breathing, cause coma or death
- Paxil — potential suicidal thinking
- Procrit — serious and life threatening cardiovascular complications
- Propulsid — heart rhythm abnormalities
- Prozac — worsened depression or suicide
- ReNu with MoistureLoc Lens Solution
- Rezulin — Fusarium keratitis, which may result in blindness
- Risperdal — type 2 diabetes, juvenile diabetes, hyperglycemia, other blood sugar disorders, diabetic coma, and pancreatitis
- Ritalin — sudden death in children
- Seldane — fatal or serious instances of cardiac arrhythmias
- Seroquel — hyperglycemia, high blood pressure and diabetes
- Viagra — sudden vision loss, hypotension, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death, and stroke
- Zometa — Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ)
If you or someone you know has taken a medication and suffered adverse side effects, even if it is not listed above, please contact the experienced Mobile defective drug attorneys at the Mobile personal injury of Long & Waite today to schedule your free consultation. You could be entitled to collect financial damages.
