For some reason, more harmful drugs than ever before are finding their way onto the market and damaging consumers in record numbers. In fact, the number of problem drugs has become so pervasive that between 2001-2010, almost a third of the drugs approved during those years were recalled because of safety issues. But the medications were available to patients for several years before their recall. As a consumer, how can you be sure the drugs your trusted medical or mental health provider prescribes to you are going to be safe? With the statistics reported over the past decade, it looks like it may put you in a very difficult position. Here are just a few problems associated with the harmful drug recalls of late.
Black Box Warning
The long list of side effects or safety precautions often associated with modern drugs is issued as a requirement. The black box warnings typically list almost everything the manufacturers can think of as a potential problem and can be as mundane as a headache or as damaging as mental health issues. The problem is that most people do not read the repetitive and wordy warnings because a trusted medical care provider believes the drug should be safe for use. This is exactly what happened with the Truvada lawsuit, and why such major problems arose.
Insufficient Testing
Most testing for potential marketable drugs is insufficient both in the number of people and the scale of individuals. The Truvada lawsuit is one such case with problems developing in people taking the medication to prevent HIV sexual contact diseases. All of a sudden, consumers began to experience kidney and bone problems. There are also some reports of related renal complications and osteoporosis issues as bone density diminished. Although safety concerns were reported for several years, it took time for the public to become aware enough to launch some tough Truvada lawsuits against manufacturers for adverse effects and harmful long-term results of taking the drug since its release in 2004.
Consumer Compensation
When harmful drugs are recalled, it is often because of the pressure of lawsuits against the drug manufacturer. Sometimes it comes out in a long trial process that the drug company knew of the problems associated with the medication use; other times, the manufacturer is totally blindsided by the number of consumers that have horrific problems that outweigh the promised rewards.
If you are one of the many who suffered from negative side effects associated with a harmful drug that was recalled, contact an attorney, and see if you can become part of the class-action lawsuit. You should be compensated for your pain and suffering.
