Doctors Rely On False Claims
In Drug Ads
Did you know:
• A study of promotional brochures found that only 6% of drug company claims were able to verified by the scientific literature they cited.
• The government has found false or misleading information in the drug maker’s brochures for virtually all of the drugs used to treat ADHD, including Eli Lilly’s drug Strattera, Johnson & Johnson’s drug Concerta, Methylin made by Mallinckrodt, Shire’s Adderall and Focalin (Novartis Pharmaceuticals).
The FDA Does Not Protect You
Did you know:
• The diet drug FenPhen was documented to be causing fatal heart valve damage for years before it was taken off the market. A very well-financed sales force vigorously talked-down the serious medical reports, and encouraged doctors to continue to freely prescribe their drug. Now virtually all former FenPhen users have a lifelong risk of heart damage.
• Merck pharmaceutical company funded a study of their drug Vioxx in 2000, which proved a serious increased risk of fatal heart attack on their drug. Court documents later suggested that Merck knew of the heart risks for at least three years before they even published the study. Merck refused to withdraw Vioxx until four years after the study, which put thousands more Vioxx users at risk of a premature heart attack.
Doctors Do Not Typically Give You All Of The Safety Information You Need
Did you know:
• It wasn’t until a few years after the Deep Brain Stimulation treatment was used in Parkinson’s patients, that a study was finally done that showed that it caused a 1000% increase in suicides. However prominent physicians, even the ones connected to major university centers, are routinely failing to warn Parkinson’s patients of this deadly effect.
• It was several years after the anti-depressant Effexor (Wyeth) was marketed for everything from the blues to post-partum depression, that a “homicidal ideation” warning had to be added to the package insert. Now Effexor has gone generic, but a brand new copycat drug by Wyeth (Pristiq) carries no such warning. Since it’s not on the label, doctors feel no obligation to warn patients that they might start having homicidal thoughts. [See a sample drug Fact File.]
Huge Legal Fines Are Simply
The Cost Of Doing Business
To Big Pharma
Did you know:
Pfizer was recently fined $2.3 billion for illegally promoting the off label use of the arthritis drug Bextra, the psychiatric drug Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox, and the epilepsy drug Lyrica. This is the largest ever settlement of a pharmaceutical company accused of wrongdoing, but the fine represented only a fraction of the profit of the largest drug company in the world.
The Associated Press reported that Pfizer spent $5.6 million in lobbying the US Government and elected officials in the second quarter of 2009 alone
You Can Take Charge Of Your Health Care With SmartMEDinfo
Use the SmartMEDinfo videos and in-depth Low Down articles to get the full story on your medical conditions. Get the SmartMEDinfo Fact Files on your medications to find out what your doctor hasn’t told you, or maybe just doesn't know.
Here is what you will find out at SmartMEDinfo:
- How does the treatment affect the body?
- How does the treatment affect the mind?
- What unwanted effects may occur?
- Is it approved by the FDA for your condition?
- What is known and not known about how safe it is?
- What is known and not known about how well it works?
- What are the alternatives, including the option of no treatment?
Steer Clear Of Drug Company Influence
It is very common that doctors get most of their information from drug sales people and their glossy brochures. Have you ever noticed your doctor writing with a pen that advertises the name of a drug, jotting on a note pad that has the logo of the drug manufacturer or carrying a coffee mug advertising the latest new medication? These are indications of a heavily drug-sales infiltrated office. This likely means that the doctor relies on sales talk, rather than a careful review of the scientific information. Get unbiased true drug information at SmartMEDinfo. We have no advertising, and our doctors and pharmacists have no drug company conflicts of interest.
[Read More]
Avoid Dangerous Drug Side Effects
Your doctor is not likely to be aware of any safety issues beyond what the pharmaceutical companies tend to provide. What does your doctor personally know about the safety of the drug? How long was it tested? How long were patients followed after taking it to determine if they developed bad effects? Does your doctor know if the FDA has published any reports of adverse effects? Get this kind of information at SmartMEDinfo. [View a sample Fact File]
Recognize Drug Side Effects When They Happen
When you are fully informed before taking a necessary medication, you can be prepared if you should experience a drug side effect. For example, everything from stomach medications to anti-depressants can cause mental symptoms, and it is important not to blame mental illness for these drug effects. Avoid the snowball of getting prescribed even more drugs to treat drug side effects.
Protect Yourself From Treatments That Don't Have A Proven Safety Record
New treatments are not necessarily better. Many prescription drugs have been on the market for 5 years or less and their long term side effects are not yet known. Why is a new drug being prescribed instead of an older similar drug with a proven safety record? The new treatments are often offered to you at much greater expense, but without obvious medical advantage. Find out the safety profile of the newer treatments at SmartMEDinfo.
Use SmartMEDinfo To Compel Your Doctor To Work For You
You are not willing to let something as important as your health be decided by a doctor who is “just too busy.” Be alert if your doctor is offended, or becomes patronizing when you ask questions. In that case your doctor may not be ready to be thoroughly honest with you. Does your doctor or the clinic have a financial interest in pushing the treatment?
You have a right to know if your drug is FDA approved. Did you know that 41% of prescriptions are given for something that they were not FDA approved for, called “off label”? Doctors do not routinely tell their patients that they are prescribing a drug off label. Find out about drug indications at SmartMEDinfo. [See a sample drug Fact File]
Regular Use Of SmartMEDinfo Will Make You A Smart Health Care Consumer
It is not hard to get misled into making bad medical decisions when you don’t have all the necessary information. The SmartMEDinfo content is easily understood, so you can use it right away. Once you have full information you can make decisions about accepting the treatment, or not. Protect yourself and your family by being a smart health care consumer.
References
Associated Press, Pfizer spent $5.6M lobbying government in 2Q, 08.20.09
Associated Press, FDA: Alimta Brochure Is Misleading; Patient Pamphlet For Cancer Drug Alimta Omits Key Facts And Risk Info, Regulators Say, August 1, 2006
Brown, D, Journal Questions Data in Vioxx Study; 3 Heart Attacks Not Mentioned, Washington Post,
December 9, 2005
Harris, G. Pfizer Pays $2.3 Billion to Settle Marketing Case, New York Times, September 2, 2009
Song, KM, Vioxx makers knew of drug's dangers three years before recall, says UW study, Seattle Times , April 15, 2008
Yan, J, Overreaching Efficacy Claims Prompt Warnings to Drug Companies; The FDA finds that pharmaceutical ads have been exaggerating the efficacy of drugs prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatr News November 21, 2008 Volume 43, Number 22, page 10
|
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.