An article published in House Calls by Dr. Stengler highlights the problems with drugs approved by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and the reports compiled about adverse reactions only after they have been approved and taken by the unsuspecting public. See below:
“Up to 50% of all drug side effects — including dangerous and even deadly risks — aren’t spotted until after a drug has been approved by the agency and given to millions of Americans. It’s a shameful and downright embarrassing track record for any agency charged with drug safety — but the FDA seems to think the fact that they eventually spot those risks is worth bragging about.In a new report with the comically ignorant title of “Advances in FDA’s Safety Program for Marketed Drugs,” the FDA says it’s required 385 post-market studies and made 65 changes to drug labels to reflect new safety guidelines since 2008…in today’s “approve first, ask questions later” environment. What’s even more amazing is that the new report doesn’t even hint at the agency’s otherhuge problem with approved drugs — and that’s the fact that they often wait years to act even when they do learn of new risks.
Case in point: Statins.
Earlier this year, the FDA required a new warning for statin labels saying the drugs can cause diabetes, memory problems, confusion, and serious muscle pain.
We’ve known about those risks for years now. Yet the FDA is only just getting around to revising the warning label.And if you think that’s bad, just wait — because this is about to get a whole lot worse. In a rare act of bipartisanship, Congress is getting ready to make it easier for new drugs to reach the market quicker than ever.
That’s something to think about next time you read about a newly approved drug — and how “safe” it’s been shown in studies “so far.”
