The Dangers of Pharmaceuticals

When most people think about dangerous drugs, their thoughts no doubt turn to illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, and other street drugs. However, the most dangerous drugs on the market are probably the ones sold legally and prescribed by doctors. Many of these drugs are in the medicine cabinets of all American households. Dangerous and defective drugs cause thousands of injuries, accidental overdoses and deaths each year.  More and more, the thinking is that big pharmaceutical companies who market dangerous drugs should be held accountable and pay damages.

Big Pharma has an obligation to provide products that are safe and reliable. The sales pitch and advertising that is done should be honest and well tested before marketed. Some believe that many pharmaceuticals are released for public consumption before they are tested for safety. In recent years there have been a number of deaths followed by drug manufacturer recalls of the dangerous pharmaceuticals, including Vioxx, Bextra, and some fentanyl patches.

Critics maintain that the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the pharmaceutical industry is too close to really regulate it. The main reason behind this allegation is that the drug industry funds pharmaceutical review, along with the approval process. If the industry pays for review, testing and approval, then how can the FDA say that all reviews are independent and the drugs are safe because they have been adequately tested? Another allegation of critics is that industry lobbyists have way too much influence over what drugs make it to market and when.

This criticism, which is pretty widespread, also brings into question the effectiveness of the overall American pharmaceutical system. In other words, who is being protected, the consumer or the pharmaceutical industry? While many drugs have been removed from the market, many wonder if they should have made it to the market and into the hands of consumers in the first place.

Illinois accident lawyer Gary D. McCallister has experience litigating a range of personal injury cases, including medical negligence, nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, defective products, and wrongful death claims.