The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last Friday that it no longer intends to publish a public list of potentially dangerous prescription drugs that was going to warn the consuming public of potential safety concerns and risks. The idea was discussed and proposed by the FDA after the withdrawal of Merck & Co.’s arthritis drug Vioxx in 2004. Instead now the FDA has decided it will only put little red asterisks next to the drug names already listed on its main site.
Drugmakers are pleased the FDA abandoned Drug Watch and was embracing a more balanced approach, said Alan Goldhammer, associate vice president for science and regulatory affairs at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America industry group.
I am sure these drug makers are pleased. Pleased the side effects of their drugs will not be publicized more in order to put people on notice of how dangerous some of them can really be. This is just the latest victory won by Big Pharma in their over reaching quest to control and bully the FDA into doing just as they say. I guess Big Pharma’s opinions are much more important than providing patients and consumers with sufficient and easly attainable information that could enable them to make informed decisions about the medications they take and receive.
