Posted by Althea8869 on February 17, 2004, at 15:50:41
In reply to Re: Differences of opinion-Drug Disclosure, posted by leo33 on February 17, 2004, at 14:59:15
Leo - im going to try this again so im clear on my position.
1) I DONT think drug companies should be accountable for the medications they develop because they arent responsible for letting the genie out of the bottle.
2) I also do not blame my doctor for the withdrawl I suffered through. If I took the drug TODAY, and then went through the withdrawl and I hadnt been warned by him- then Id blame him for not warning me about it. When I took it, I honestly dont believe he had enough data in his possesion to make that warning. Need to remember that information sharing today has increased roughly a trillion-fold over what it was five years ago.
3)Who let the genie out of the bottle??? The FDA. If i want to market a cyanide capsule as a cure for depression, the only one in a position to let consumers know that the primary side effect of taking this medication is that you'll be dead, is the fda. If they approve this pill for treatment they shoulder the responsibility - without their 'signature' on the form it aint getting to the public. Bottom line: the FDA trials process was flawed when effexor was released and its still flawed today.If you want to sue the maker - I say go for it. But, you'll be in the same category, as far as Im concerned, as the guy that sued McDonalds becuase he got heart disease from eating too many big mac's and didnt realize that 5 big macs per day might have some side effects. Or the woman who got five million dollars because she didnt realize the cup of hot coffee she ordered was, in fact, hot.
Im fed up with the idea of 'sueing' to right a wrong. The only reason any of us had horrible withdrawl effects is becuase ONE organization said it was ok for us to take this drug. So were clear, that organization is the FDA. Their net wasnt cast wide enough then and it isnt now. Their reporting wasnt complete enough then and it isnt now.
Unfortunately your attention is, in my opinion, directed in the wrong direction. What we need is a congretional hearing on best practices and not a rash of lawsuits that cannot possibly stand to benefit anybody but the lawyers.
Sorry, but thats how I see it.
poster:Althea8869
thread:53462
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040215/msgs/314783.html