Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has introduced the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, S.525, and twenty-four other senators have already become co-signers. A similar House bill has also been introduced. Both bills allow for the re-importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and other countries. American drug manufacturers sell medicines to foreign countries for… Continue reading Re-importing US Drugs from Foreign Countries a Good Idea, Says Obama’s Healthcare Reform Team
Month: March 2009
Government “Watchdog” Agency Urges More Oversight of Supplements by FDA
On March 2, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on dietary supplements, calling for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to monitor supplements more closely and require increased adverse event reporting.
Vitamin C Cancer Use Attacked
A study published in the journal Cancer Research concluded that vitamin C given to mice or cultured cells treated with common anti-cancer drugs reduces the benefits of the chemotherapy.
Harvard Medical School Finally Concerned About Drug Company Influence On Campus
A fascinating article in the New York Times last week told the story of Matt Zerden, a student at Harvard Medical School who was troubled when he heard his pharmacology professor repeatedly promote the benefits of cholesterol drugs and seemed to belittle a student who asked about side effects.
Supreme Court Allows Juries to Award Damages for Unsafe Drug Injuries
Last week, the US Supreme Court struck a blow to the pharmaceutical industry when they ruled that litigants may sue for damages if they are harmed by unsafe drugs—even if the drug manufacturers have satisfied federal regulators.
FDA “Scales Back Enforcement” of Quality Controls on Medical Devices
The Project on Government Oversight, an independent watchdog group that exposes problems in government, has learned that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has quietly reduced their enforcement of federal quality regulations at laboratories that develop medical devices. The FDA’s inspections of “good laboratory practices” dropped dramatically in the past few years: from 33 in… Continue reading FDA “Scales Back Enforcement” of Quality Controls on Medical Devices
Many Americans Suffer Food Poisoning Without Realizing It; FDA a Failure at Food Safety
The next time you have a case of diarrhea that lasts a day or more, chances are very good that you have food poisoning. Nearly 25% of Americans suffer a foodborne illness each year. Scientists have counted more than 250 food-related types of illness, which can range from viruses to bacteria to parasites.