And so, the litigation hounds once again are unleashed on the prescription drug community. This time it is over Vioxx, an anti-arthitic drug manufactured by Merck. Research has long pointed to the fact that long-term use of Vioxx may contribute to heart attacks and strokes. Perhaps the FDA didn't study the drug long enough. Perhaps the pharmaceutical companies are only interested in money. Perhaps people don't read the warning labels. And perhaps some were willing to risk the trade-off in order to get relief from their pain symptoms.
Regardless, in what is the biggest recall in prescription drug history ($2.5 billion), Vioxx is no longer available on the market. And now everywhere you turn, malpractice attorneys are planning on sticking it to the doctors who prescribed the medication, as well as the pharmaceutical company that manafactured it (Merck is taking a huge hit on Wall Street).
And people wonder why health insurance costs are skyrocketing.
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
November 18, 2004 09:19 AM
I will just say this...if your mother, father, or another loved one had taken Vioxx and died from a heart attack, I am sure that you would not sue Merck. After all, health care costs are out of control.
Funny thing most people are against this type of thing--until someone they know is affected.
November 18, 2004 01:54 PM
All medications come with warnings, including Vioxx. The number of people who experienced problems compared with the those who didn't is miniscule. If Aspirin came before the FDA today, it would not be approved.