Drug Issues Miscellaneous Literature. Deaths from OD of Rx Painkillers Triple in 10 Years Deaths from OD of Rx Painkillers Triple in 10 Years By Kristina

Drug Issues

Miscellaneous Literature

Deaths from OD of Rx Painkillers Triple in Deaths from OD of Rx Painkillers Triple in 10 Years10 Years

By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage TodayNovember 01, 2011

Deaths caused by overdoses of prescription opioid painkillers more than tripled over a decade, to nearly 15,000 in 2008, CDC researchers found.

That's up from 4,000 in 1999, Len Paulozzi, MD, of the CDC, and colleagues reported in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and in a Vital Signs brief.

NSAIDs May Up Women's Risk of Crohn's Disease By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage TodayPublished: November 01, 2011

Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; University of California

WASHINGTON -- Women who use nonsteroidal anti-Women who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs -- but not aspirin or inflammatory drugs -- but not aspirin or acetaminophen -- have a slightly higher risk of acetaminophen -- have a slightly higher risk of developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

NSAIDs are so dangerous that it now merits its own website on negative effects. I do applaud the efforts to investigate however.

More Hospitalized from NSAID Bleeding than All American War

Casualties

More Hospitalized from NSAID Bleeding than All American War

Casualties

Duration of Treatment With NSAIDs and Impact on Risk of Death and Recurrent Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Prior Myocardial Infarction. Olsen et a. May 2010. Circulation.

Conclusions—Even short-term treatment with most NSAIDs was associated with increased risk of death and recurrent MI in patients with prior MI. Neither short- nor long-term treatment with NSAIDs is advised in this population, and any NSAID use should be limited from a cardiovascular safety point of view.

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2011/05/09/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.004671.abstract

Medicare:Hospital Adverse events.

2010November 2010. Department of Health and Human

Services’ Office of Inspector General.

• 1 in 7 Medicare patients experience serious harm because of medical errors and hospital infections each year, and

• 180,000 patients die, according to a November 2010 study by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

• That’s nearly double the 98,000 deaths attributed to preventable errors in the pivotal 2000 report “To Err is Human,” by the Institute of Medicine, which galvanized the nation's patient safety movement.

Regular Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Use and Erectile Dysfunction. Gleason et al. Journal of Urology. Received 20 January 2010 published online 21 February 2011.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and erectile dysfunction strongly correlated with age with regular drug use increasing from 34.5% in men at ages 45 to 49 years to 54.7% in men 60 to 69 years old with erectile dysfunction increasing from 13% to 42%.

Conclusions: These data suggest that regular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is associated with erectile dysfunction beyond what would be expected due to age and comorbidity.

FDA System Approves Nonexistent Product from Nonexistent Company for Human Testing

A sting nailed a company the HHS authorized to oversee human drug trials. The absurdities in the application are belly laugh funny, but in their rush to keep the money coming, they approved it.by Heidi Stevenson


First sting:

Congress became suspicious, so they got together with the General Accountability Office (GAO) to set up a sting. They sent out an application for testing of a nonexistent product, Adhesiabloc, by a nonexistent company, Device Med-Systems.


Second sting:

The name of the fake company was Phake Medical Devices. The names of the principals were April Phuls, Timothy Witless, and Alan Ruse. The company's location was listed as Chetesville, Arizona.

The applications sailed through.

Compliance With Guideline Linked to Pneumonia DeathsMichael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today Published: January 20, 2011

Following some treatment guidelines for patients with nosocomial pneumonia appeared to be associated with an increased mortality risk, researchers reported.

In an observational study, 34% of patients at risk for multidrug-resistant disease and treated empirically according to guidelines from the American Thoracic Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America died within 28 days, according to Daniel Kett, MD, of the University of Miami, and colleagues.

In contrast, only 20% of patients whose treatment did not follow the guidelines died,

Uptick in Febrile Seizures Tied to Flu Vaccine By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage TodayPublished: January 20, 2011

The FDA and CDC have detected an increase in reports of febrile seizures among children younger than 2 who received Fluzone, the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur.

Fluzone is the only vaccine recommended for use during the current flu season in infants and children from 6 to 23 months of age.

Secrets of the System Secrets of the System Top Spine Surgeons Reap Royalties, Medicare Top Spine Surgeons Reap Royalties, Medicare

Bounty Bounty HEALTH INDUSTRY DECEMBER 20, 2010 HEALTH INDUSTRY DECEMBER 20, 2010

From 2004 to 2008, Norton performed the third-most spinal fusions on Medicare patients in the country.

The five surgeons are also among the largest recipients nationwide of payments from medical-device giant Medtronic Inc. In the first nine months of this year alone, the surgeons—Steven Glassman, Mitchell Campbell, John Johnson, John Dimar and Rolando Puno—received more than $7 million from the Fridley, Minn., company.

FDA Warns of Fracture Risk with PPIswww.medpagetoday.com

By Crystal Phend, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage TodayPublished: May 25, 2010

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may increase the risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with high-dose or chronic use, the FDA warned today.

Labeling on drugs in this class -- both prescription and over-the-counter -- will change to reflect this risk, the agency said. Prescription PPIs include esomeprazole (NexiumNexium), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), omeprazole (PrilosecPrilosec, Zegerid), lansoprazole (PrevacidPrevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (Aciphex).

Recurrence up to 3.5 years after antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media in very young Dutch children: survey of trial participants

Published 30 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2525. Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2525

Conclusion Recurrent acute otitis media occurred more often in the children originally treated with amoxicillin. This is another argument for judicious use of antibiotics in children with acute otitis media.

Zocor: FDA Drug Safety Communication: Ongoing safety review of high-dose Zocor (simvastatin) and increased risk of muscle injury. Source: FDA

Safety Announcement

[3-19-2010] Based on review of data from a large clinical trial and data from other sources, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public about an increased risk of muscle injury in patients taking the highest approved dose of the cholesterol-lowering medication, Zocor* (simvastatin) 80 mg, compared to patients taking lower doses of simvastatin and possibly other drugs in the "statin" class.

FDA Recommends Temporary Suspension of Use of Rotavirus Vaccine

By John Gever, Senior Editor; Todd Neale, MedPage Today Staff Writer Published: March 22, 2010

WASHINGTON -- The FDA is recommending that clinicians temporarily stop using Rotarix rotavirus vaccine because of contamination with viral DNA.

Orlistat and/or Xenical warning

FDA Adds Liver Injury Warning to Diet Drug

WASHINGTON -- The weight-loss medication orlistat, marketed both by prescription as Xenical (120 mg) and over-the-counter as Alli (60 mg), will carry a warning about the potential for severe liver injury, the FDA announced today.

The agency did note... full story http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/PublicHealth/tb/20310

Antidepressants Linked to Increased Risk for Death, Stroke in Postmenopausal Women

Source: December Archives of Internal Medicine, Jordan Smoller, MD, from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston,

December 22, 2009 — Postmenopausal women taking either a tricyclicantidepressant (TCA) or a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) appear to be at increased risk for all-cause mortality, and SSRIs users seem to be at increased risk for hemorrhagic and fatal increased risk for hemorrhagic and fatal stroke,stroke, although the absolute event risks are low, according to an analysis from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study.

Antidepressants Linked to Increased Risk for Death, Stroke in Postmenopausal Women

TCA use in turn was associated with a 67% higher relative risk for all-cause 67% higher relative risk for all-cause deathdeath (hazard ratio [HR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 - 2.09). The TCAs alsoincrease stroke risk, but not significantly so.

Findings — in the largest cohort ofwomen yet studied — provide "additional warning" that antidepressant use does that antidepressant use does have certain negative consequences in have certain negative consequences in this particular demographic.this particular demographic.

Recommendations for Prescribing NSAIDs in the Primary Care SettingLaurie Barclay, MD

Source: Medscape Medical News December 28, 2009 —December 15 issue of the American Family Physician

Although NSAIDs are in widespread use, there are accompanying risks, including: significant upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract

bleeding (particularly in older persons), risks in those receiving anticoagulant

therapy, and risks in patients with a history of upper GI

tract bleeding associated with NSAID use.


Despite the cardioprotective qualities of aspirin, other NSAIDs may have adverse

cardiac effects, including worsening of congestive

heart failure, increase in blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and ischemia.

The risk for myocardial infarction is increased with COX-2 inhibitors, although celecoxib, which is the only COX-2 inhibitor still available in the United States, is somewhat safer regarding cardiovascular effects.


Central nervous system adverse effects of NSAIDs may include:

aseptic meningitis, psychosis, and Tinnitus NSAIDs may also trigger or exacerbate asthma.

In patients with asthma, especially those with nasal polyps or recurrent sinusitis, NSAIDs and aspirin should be avoided.


During the last 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, last 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, NSAIDs should be avoided to prevent NSAIDs should be avoided to prevent prolonged gestationprolonged gestation from inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, premature closure of the ductus arteriosus, and antiplatelet activity causing maternal and fetal complications. However, most NSAIDs are likely safe in pregnancy. In breast-feeding women, ibuprofen, indomethacin, and naproxen can be safely used. Parents should be educated regarding correct NSAID dosing and storage in childproof containers to prevent accidental NSAID overdose in children.

Company Recalls Tylenol for ArthritisBy Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage TodayPublished: December 29, 2009

The move expands an earlier partial recall of the product in November, when five lots were called back after consumers complained of an "unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor.

It's also the second recall of Tylenol products in two months; a kids' formulation was recalled in September.

In the arthritis medication, the odor was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea,nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea, the company said, adding the expanded recall is a precaution. McNeil makes other Tylenol arthritis products and those medications remain on sale.

Aspirin kills 400% more people Aspirin kills 400% more people than H1N1 swine fluthan H1N1 swine flu

(NaturalNews) The CDC now reports that nearly 4,000 Americans have been killed by H1N1 swine flu. This number is supposed to sound big and scary, motivating millions of people to go out and pay good money to be injected with untested, unproven H1N1 vaccines. But let's put the number in perspective: Did you know that more than *four times as many people are killed each year by common NSAID painkillers like aspirin?*

Aspirin kills 400% more people Aspirin kills 400% more people than H1N1 swine fluthan H1N1 swine flu

The July 1998 issue of The American Journal of Medicine explains it as follows:

"Conservative calculations estimate that approximately 107,000 patients are hospitalized annually for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-related gastrointestinal (GI) complications and at least 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur each year among arthritis patients alone."

(Singh Gurkirpal, MD, "Recent Considerations in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Gastropathy", The American Journal of Medicine, (July 27, 1998, p. 31S)

full story: http://www.naturalnews.com/027548_swine_flu_vaccines_death_risk.html

Drugs and Falls in the Elderly

Arch Intern Med -- Abstract: Meta-analysis of the Impact of Meta-analysis of the Impact of 9 Medication Classes on Falls in9 Medication Classes on Falls in Elderly Persons Elderly Persons, November 23, 200_http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/21/1952)

Background: There is increasing recognition that the use of certain medications contributes to falls in seniors.

Drugs and Falls in the Elderly

An increased likelihood of falling was estimated for the use of sedatives and hypnotics, neuroleptics and antipsychotics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in studies considered to have "good" medication and falls ascertainment.

Conclusion The use of sedatives and hypnotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines demonstrated a significant association with falls in elderly individuals.

Dutch Pull Pfizer Vaccine Batch After Infants Die

AMSTERDAM, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Dutch authorities say they have banned use of a batch of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) Prevenar, or Prevnar, after three infants died within two weeks of receiving the anti-infection vaccination.

"On average about 5 to 10 deaths are reported annually after babies get vaccines," said a spokeswoman for the Dutch health institute RIVM.

Children Who Get Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk Of Hospitalization For Flu

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/ 090519172045.htm*

Science Daily (May 20, 2009) — The inactivated flu vaccine does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the ones with asthma.

In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than their peers who do not get thevaccine, according to new research that will be presented on May 19, at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Children Who Get Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk Of Hospitalization For Flu

a cohort study of 263 children who were evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota from six months to 18 years of age, each of whom had had laboratory-confirmed influenza between 1996 to 2006.

children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization, as compared to children who had not received the vaccine.

"Acupuncture in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial“

Yang CP, Hsieh CL, et al, /Clin J Pain/, 2009; 25(4): 327-33.

Acupuncture Treatment as Effective as Drug Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Subjects in the acupuncture group reported significantly less nocturnal awakening, as compared to subjects in the steroid drug group. In addition, subjects in the acupuncture group reported a significant difference in distal motor latency compared with subjects in the steroid group. These results suggest that acupuncture may be as effective, if not more effective, than steroids in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate CTS.

Gardasil July 8, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com)

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

18 Dead, Thousands Suffer ComplicationsGrowing opposition and flat sales trigger Gardasil manufacturer Merck stock sell-off

The public interest group Judicial Watchrecently obtained more than 8,000 reports, under the US Freedom of Information law, of adverse events in girls and young women after they were injected with the HPV vaccine Gardasil.

Gardasil

The reports reveal everything from massive wart outbreaks to seizures, paralysis and death.

Ten deaths have been reported since September 2007, bringing the total to 18since the vaccine was approved for use in 2006.

Zyprexa…Marketed to children and the Elderly

Fox, Douglas Kennedy and AP January 2009

Fox, Douglas Kennedy, Lilly pays $1.42 billion in Zyprexa suit

$36 Billion worth sold “making the fine seem like a parking ticket”

Clearly the pharmeceutical industry is interested in profits, not health

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_iXApBeT5s

Brittany Murphy's Cause of Death Determined

Posted Feb 4th 2010 12:30PM AOL

According to the coroner's findings, the 32-year-old died of community acquired pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia and and multiple drug intoxication -- which multiple drug intoxication -- which included prescription and over-the-included prescription and over-the-counter drugs.counter drugs.

ACG: Low-Dose Naproxen Increases Ulcer Riskfrom Medpage Today October 26, 2009

By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer. Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

SAN DIEGO -- Even at low doses, naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn, Naprelan) may increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal complications, researchers said here.

ACG: Low-Dose Naproxen Increases Ulcer Risk (cont’d)

Patients taking a 500-mg/day dose had a 2.5-fold increased risk of hospitalization from complicated gastric or duodenal ulcer, while those on the 750-mg/day dose had almost a threefold increased risk, Gurkirpal Singh, MD, of Stanford University, and colleagues reported at the American College of Gastroenterology meeting.

The 1,000-mg/day dose carried more than a threefold increased risk of hospitalization.

March 10, 2009 in Health A Medical Madoff: Anesthesiologist Faked Data in 21 Studies

A pioneering anesthesiologist has been implicated in a massive research fraud that has altered the way millions of patients are treated for pain during and after orthopedic surgeries.

A Medical Madoff: Anesthesiologist Faked Data in 21 Studies

Over the past 12 years, anesthesiologist Scott Reuben revolutionized the way physicians provide pain relief to patients undergoing orthopedic surgery for everything from torn ligaments to worn-out hips. Now, the profession is in shambles after an investigation revealed that at least 21 of Reuben's papers were pure fiction, and that the pain drugs he touted in them may have slowed postoperative healing.


"We are talking about millions of patients worldwide, where postoperative pain management has been affected by the research findings of Dr. Reuben," says Steven Shafer, editor in chief of the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia, which published 10 of Reuben's fraudulent papers.


Paul White, another editor at the journal, estimates that Reuben's studies led to the sale of billions of dollars worth of the potentially dangerous drugs known as COX2 inhibitors, Pfizer's Celebrex (celecoxib) and Merck's Vioxx (rofecoxib), for applications whose therapeutic benefits are now in question. Reuben was a member of Pfizer's speaker's bureau and received five independent research grants from the company. The editors do not believe patients were significantly harmed by the short-term use of these COX2 inhibitors for pain management but they say it's possible the therapy may have prolonged recovery periods.

CDC Announces Change in Recommendations for use of Antivirals; Clinicians Should not Prescribe

Two Common Antivirals. 1/14/2006 Sourced from the CDC.

Amantadine and rimantadine should not be prescribed to treat or prevent influenza during the 2005-2006 flu season.

“Predominant strain of influenza (H3N2) currently circulating in the US shows that it is resistant to these drugs.”

109 or 120 isolates were resistant.

Mumps epidemic gains steam; vaccine urged.

4/20/06 USA Today.

“The Iowa Department of Public Health reports that 64% of the state’s cases have been in people who got two doses of a measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine.”

“We have absolutely no information to suggest there’s any problem with the vaccine”.

“The problem is with the lack of complete coverage with the vaccine.”

Study: Medical manual’s authors often tied to drugmakers. Thursday 4/20/06 USA Today.

“A majority of medical experts who created the ‘bible’ for diagnosing mental illness have undisclosed financial links to drugmakers.”

“Some panels overseeing disorders that require treatment with prescription drugs, such as schizophrenia and ‘mood disorders’ were 100% filled with experts financially tied to the pharmaceutical industry, says the study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.”

Antibiotics may have affected Milosevic, Took unprescribed drug,

expert says. Tuesday 3/14/06 USA Today

“Uges, the Dutch toxicologist, said he discovered traces of rifampicin in Milosevic’s system - ‘a drug that makes the liver extremely active’ and can undermine the effectiveness of other medications.”

“Medical Errors Make the Headlines Again. New Report Doubles Previous Estimate of

Annual Deaths.”Dynamic Chiropractic 9/27/04

“According to an analysis released by the health care quality company HealthGrades, up to 195,000 Americans die each year as a result of potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors.”

“That figure is nearly twice the number of annual medical errors-related deaths published in a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) just five years ago, and make medical mistakes the third-leading cause of death in the US behind heart disease and cancer.”

Source: HealthGrades Quality Study. Patient Safety in American Hospitals. Published July 2004

Plavix added to aspirin proves risky. AP 2006

“People taking the blood thinner Plavix on top of aspirin to try to prevent heart attacks, as many doctors recommended, now have good reason to stop.”

“The drug combination not only didn’t help most people in a newly released study, but it unexpectedly almost doubled risk of death, heart attack, or stroke with those with no clogged arteries but with conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”

Gurkirpal Singh, George Triadafilopoulos, Epidmiology of NSAID induced gastrointestinal complications. J. Rheumatol 1999, Apr;26

Suppl 56:18-24. Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto,

California 94304, USA.

NSAIDs are one of the most commonly used classes of medications worldwide. 30 million people take NSAIDs daily. GI complications are the most prevalent category of adverse drug reactions. Patients with arthritis are the most frequent users, therefore at greater risk.

NSAID related deaths among patients with RA and OA are even more startling. It is conservatively estimated that 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur in these patients every year in the US.

15th most common cause of death in the US. Stats DO NOT include nonarthritis indications.

Wolfe, M.D., Lichtenstein, M.D., Singh, M.D.Gastrointestinal Toxicity of Nonsteroidal Antiinflamatory Drugs.

The New England Journal of Medicine, June 17, 1999, Review Article, Medical Progress.

113 References.

NSAID agents constitute one of the world’s most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 70 million prescriptions and more than 30 billion over-the-counter tablets sold annually in the US.

“Although the annual mortality rate is low, it must be emphasized that

because a large number of patients are exposed to NSAIDs often for extended periods of time, the risk over a lifetime is substantial.”

Hospitalization due to GI complications 103,000/yr. Estimated cost

$15,000 to $20,000 per hospitalization. Annual cost exceeds $2 Billion.

“It has been estimated conservatively that 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur among patients with RA and OA every year in the US.”

Wolfe, M.D., Lichtenstein, M.D., Singh, M.D.Gastrointestinal Toxicity of Nonsteroidal Antiinflamatory Drugs.

The New England Journal of Medicine, June 17, 1999, Review Article, Medical Progress. (cont’d)

Doses of aspirin as low as 30 mg are sufficient to suppress prostaglandin synthesis in the gastric mucosa initiating gastric-duodenal mucosal injury, resulting in the release of oxygen-derived free radicals.

Peptic ulcers-gastroduodenal hemorrhage-perforation-death! Acetaminophen is nontoxic to the GI mucosa, however, recall that

acetaminophen is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Cox-2 inhibitors will hopefully have a reduced capacity to cause injury to

the gastroduodenal mucosa. However, Cox-2 inhibitors are also known to cause defects in renal

function, alter the regulation of bone resorption, impair female reproductive physiology, and increase the rate of thrombotic events in patients with increase risk for cardiovascular disease.

Dabbs, D.C. and Lauretti, D.C., A Risk Assesment of Cervical Manipulation vs. NSAIDs for the Treatment of Neck

Pain. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Vol. 18, number 8 Oct. 1995; 18:530-6.

“The best evidence indicates that cervical manipulation for neck pain is much safer than the use of NSAIDs, by as much as a factor of several hundred times. There is no evidence that indicates NSAID use is any more effective than cervical manipulation for neck pain.”

Death rate for NSAID-associated GI problems at 0.04% per yr amoung OA patients receiving NSAIDs, or 3,200 deaths in the US per year.

He (Brandt) also noted that there are several animal

studies and human clinical studies that have actually implicated NSAIDs in the acceleration of joint destruction.

The Association of Acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen with respiratory disease and lung function. McKeever et al. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2005 May 1;171(9).

Cross-sectional analysis using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that the use of acetaminophen is associated with an increased risk of asthma and COPD, and with decreased lung function.

FDA MedWatch: Ketek (telithromycin): Reports of Serious Liver Toxicity.

Annals of Internal Medicine published an article reporting three patients who experienced serious liver toxicity following administration of Ketek (telithromycin). These cases were reported to FDA MedWatch.

Source: MedWatch 2006 Safety Summary: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2006/safety06.htm#Ketek.

FDA FedWatch: Cylert and Generic Pemoline Products Withdrawn From the Market Due to Liver Toxicity.

Cylert, a central nervous system stimulant indicated for the treatment of ADHD is considered second line therapy for ADHD because of its association with life threatening hepatic failure.

Source: http://imageb.epocrates.com/mailbot/links?EdID=20381927&LinkID=2446

“Antidepressants Get FDA’s “Black Box” Warning. Linked to Suicidal

Thoughts/Behavior in Children Dynamic Chiropractic Nov. 30, 2004

“On October 15, 2004 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory directing manufacturers of all antidepressant drugs to revise their product labeling to include a “black box” warning. The warning is intended to alert health care providers of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children being treated with the drugs.”

Source: FDA launches a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen safeguards for children treated with antidepressant medications. FDA News, Oct. 15, 2004: www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01124.html.

“FDA to Probe Antidepressant Risks for Adults…After Planning Warning for Kids, Agency to Re-Examine Evidence Suggesting No Danger of

Suicide.”

“It’s unclear why some drugs, including Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, could increase suicidal tendencies only in a small subset of young people, and not adults. One theory is that younger people may have less control over their impulses, or less ability to cope with or understand an unexpected drug effect.”

Source: The Wall Street Journal 9/28/04

More Antidepressant Warnings

Investor’s Business Daily Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006

The FDA called for warnings on labels of antidepressants, cautioning that the drugs could increase the risk of suicidal behavior in users up to age 24. The warning currently is limited to youths under 18. Drug makers said the change should not hurt sales. Antidepressants such as Pfizer’s Zoloft and Wyeth’s Effexor, garner over $17 billion in annual US sales.

Rate of Breast Cancer DropsUSA Today Friday, Dec. 15, 2006

Breast cancer rates fell 7% in 2003, the year after millions of older women abandoned hormone replacement therapy based on the findings of a government report.

Researchers: Houston’s MD Anderson Center

“Warning Advised on ADHD Drugs.”

“FDA committee urges strongest notification.”

“…8-7 vote…black box warning”

“…include Ritalin, Adderall, Focalin, Methylin, Metadate, and Concerta.”

“An FDA report released prior to the meeting said that 25 children and adults had died suddenly from 1999 to 2003 after taking ADHD drugs.”

Source: USA Today Fri/Sat/Sun Feb. 10-12, 2006

“Eczema Drug Labels to warn of potential cancer

risk” FDA…”black box” warning (long-term

safety of these drugs has not been established.)

Elidel and Protopic

..animals developed cancer in drug studies. …should not be used on infants.

Source: USA Today 1/26/06

OxyContin

U.S. News and World Report, July 2, 2001 “Not an appropriate use”, “Did the makers

of OxyContin push too hard?” Virginia residents filed a $5.3 billion class

action lawsuit that alleges Pharma also failed to disclose the drug’s risks, setting off a wave of OxyContin addiction and abuse.

Associated deaths jumped 93% between 1997 and 1998.

DEA reported 291 deaths in just 6 states.

NUTLEY, N.J. (July 15) - Mother's little helper is not so little anymore.

Valium, the drug that revolutionized the treatment of anxiety and became a cultural icon, is 40 years old this year.

Invented by chemist Leo Sternbach Approved for use in 1963, became the country's

most prescribed drug from 1969 to 1982. The Roche Group, Hoffman-La Roche's

parent, sold nearly 2.3 billion pills stamped with the trademark ``V'' at its 1978 peak.

Baycol-Cholesterol drug

The Columbus Dispatch, August 9, 2001 “Bayer pulls medicine tied to 31

U.S.Deaths” Baycol has been linked to significantly more

fatal cases than its competitors, Dr. John Jenkins of the FDA

Other drugs include Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, Zocor

Baycol-Cholesterol drug

“Every statin has been linked to very rare reports of the muscle side effect called rhabdomyolysis.”

Baycol is the 12th prescription drug taken off the market since 1997.

Allergy Pills Overused

Study out of OSU, reported in Columbus Dispatch, Monday, April 9, 2001

Of 246 North Carolina residents taking prescription antihistamines, blood tests showed 65 percent didn’t have allergies.

Skill testing unreliable vs. Blood tests

“Side Effects: As Drug-Sales Teams Multiply, Some Doctors Shut Them Out”

Wall Street Journal, 6-13-03 “’Arms Race’ by Pfizer, Rivals Boost Pill Prices

and Ire, But No One Dares Retreat.” “Free Tacos and Piles of Bextra” 90,000 drug industry reps $12 Billion spent on sales force $2.76 billon on consumer drug ads. Result: Prescriptions up 14% to $161 Billion

spent on drugs in 2002!!!!

Antibiotics and Breast Cancer

February 17, 2004 JAMA

The longer that women took the drugs, and the more prescriptions they took, the greater their risk of breast cancer.

Bug Mutates into Medical Mystery. Antibiotics, Heartburn Drugs, Suspected.

“First came stomach cramps, which left Christina Shultz doubled over and weeping in pain. Then came nausea and fatigue-so overwhelming she couldn’t get out of bed for days. Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, the nastiest diarrhea of her life hit-repeatedly forcing her into the hospital.”

Bacterial infection: Clostridium difficile

“It may, however, be the lastest example of a common, relatively benign bug that has mutated because of the overuse of antibiotics.”

Source: The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/front.htm)

Continuous Low-Level Heat Wrap Therapy Provides More Efficacy Than Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen for Acute Low Back Pain

Scott F. Nadler, DO, et al. SPINE 2002;27:1012-1017

Conclusion. Continuous low-level heat wrap therapy was superior to both acetaminophen and ibuprofen for treating low back pain.

Antibiotics may have affected Milosevic. Took unprescribed drugs, expert says.

Slobodan Milosevic-died in his jail cell.

“Uges, the Dutch toxicologist, said he discovered traces of rifampicin in Milosevic’s system-a drug that ‘makes the liver extremely active’, and can undermine the effectiveness of other medication.”

Source: USA Today 3/14/06

How did our society get so sick? Two industries primarily responsible

Food Industry Pharmaceutical Industry

(“The Next Trillion” by Paul Zane Pilzer)

Do you really believe either industry is truly interested in your health, versus generating profits by keeping you heavy, unhealthy and drug dependant?

Medical Mistakes: The 3rd Leading Cause of Death

JAMA, July 26, 2000 Vol. 284. No. 4 225,000 deaths/yr = 3rd leading cause

of death 3rd only to heart disease and cancer!! Estimates are for death only and do not

include adverse effects associated with disability or discomfort.

Estimates are low!

Epidemiology

BMJ March 4, 2000 44,000 to 98,000 unnecessary

deaths/yr and 1,000,000 excess injuries.

Clinicians inexperienced New procedures introduced Extremes of age, complex care,

urgent care, and prolonged hospital stay

Medical Errors

JAMA, July 26, 2000 Vol. 284. No. 4 44,000 to 98,000 die/yr - Medical

errors Of 13 countries, US ranks 12th of

16 indicators (second from the bottom!)

WHO ranked US 15th of 25 industrialized countries

Medical Errors-Patient Risks

“Blunders take 400,000 lives every year, Kaiser head says”

(By Robert A. Rosenblatt, LOS ANGELES TIMES Oakland Tribune, July 15, 1999)

"Mistakes alone kill more people each year than tobacco, alcohol, firearms or automobiles."

"If passengers were asked to fly with a commercial airline organized like most health care, they wouldn’t get on the plane.“

Kaiser is the US’s largest HMO. The 400,000 deaths per year caused by medical mistakes is the largest number I have seen in print so far.

JAMA, July 26, 2000 Vol. 284. No. 4 12,000 deaths/yr - unnecessary surgery 7,000 deaths/yr - medication errors in

hospitals 20,000 deaths/yr - other hospital errors 80,000 deaths/yr - nosocomial infections 106,000 deaths/yr - adverse rxn, nonerror 225,000 deaths/yr - iatrogenic causes

JAMA - Hospital Deaths

Let’s Talk About Error

BMJ March 2000 While reading this article, 8 injured

and one will die. Likelihood of injury at least 3% in

hosp. “Reported error rates would go up

since we underreport errors and near misses by a factor of 10.”

Shrimp Dodging Injury Blamed for Death

Jan. 13, 2006 News Bulletin

Family seeking $10 million in damages, claiming he died from a neck injury months after ducking to avoid a shrimp tossed by a hibachi chef at a Japanese restaurant.

Patient, Jerry Colaitis, 43, died from complications (infection) caused by neck surgery he required afterward.

Wall street journal,4/22/03 Page 1, section dSaying No to the Knife...

Apparently, research now shows that surgery for back problems, gum disease, hernias, sinus problems, and injured kidneys, to name a few, are not necessary much of the time.

And the effects of the surgery are apparently often worse than the condition treated.

Antibiotics and Breast Cancer

February 17, 2004 JAMA

The longer that women took the drugs, and the more prescriptions they took, the greater their risk of breast cancer.

Aspirin in Gastric Ulcer

76 year old women NEJM Levy MD, Vol. 343 Number 12 400 mg. Etodolac 2x/day for RA 1 tablet of enteric-coated aspirin / day 1 mg. of warfarin sodium per day Endoscopy revealed aspirin tablet

intact with an ulcer of gastric antrum.

Results of Errors

JAMA, July 26, 2000 Vol. 284. No. 4 116 million extra physician visits 77 million extra prescriptions 17 million emergency department visits 8 million hospitalizations 3 million long-term admissions 199,000 additional deaths $77 billion in extra costs

Error Underreporting

BMJ March 4, 2000 100,000 deaths with many more

incurring injuries at an annual cost of $9 billion.

“Underreporting of adverse events is estimated to range from 50%-96% annually.”

BMJ Statistics

BMJ March 2000 100,000 preventable deaths per year in US

according to the Institute of Medicine Exceeds the combined deaths and injuries

from motor and air crashes, suicides, falls, poisonings, and drownings.

Australia produced even higher rates of error.

President Clinton

BMJ March 4, 2000 “44,000 to 98,000 Americans die each

year from medical mistakes.” The President will ask Congress for $20

million to create a Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.

Former president of AMA, Dr. Nancy Dickey, opposed to mandatory reporting.

Chiropractic Manipulation…

The Great Flu Pandemic demonstrated that patient receiving Osteopathic spinal manipulation had a greater chance of survival.

According to RAND, Chiropractors perform 94% of all spinal manipulation today.

Muscle Relaxants“Muscle Relaxants: Overused, Ineffective and

Acute LBP”Bernstein E, Carey TS, Mills Garrett J. The use of muscle relaxant

medications in acute low back pain. Spine 2004;29(12):1346-51.

Cohort of 1600..MC-LBP. …while muscle relaxant use was quite common among

patients with acute LBP, the drugs did not help patients return to normal functioning more quickly than patients not taking muscle relaxants, and in fact, were associated with an increase in the time it took for patients to recover from pain.”

Return to functional recovery: 16.2 days vs. 32.4 days ( m. relaxants)

“Arthritis drugs may boost risk of blood clotting, heart attacks” AP Friday, April 19,

2002

RE: Vioxx and Celebrex

“New research bolsters the growing suspicion that some popular arthritis drugs could increase certain people’s risk of heart attacks by causing a chemical imbalance that spurs blood clots.”

Based on University of PA study in Science

“Merck Recalls Blockbuster Arthritis Drug Vioxx”

AOL News 9/30/04

RE: Vioxx

“The arthritis drug Vioxx, used by two million people around the world, is being pulled off the market after a study confirmed long-standing concerns that it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, the maker, Merck and Co., said Thursday.”

“Another drug for pain off market” Risk vs. benefit for Bextra cited”

USA Today Fri/Sat/Sun, April 8-10, 2005

RE: Bextra

“The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that Pfizer has agreed to stop selling Bextra, a popular arthritis drug, because its risks outweigh its benefits”

Black Box warnings will highlight the drugs’ (Celebrex, Ibuprofen, naproxen, etc) risks of heart attacks, strokes, and bleeding of the digestive tract

“Methadone overdose killed activist, coroner reports” Columbus Dispatch 6/12/03

RE: Methadone

“The former grade-school dropout, gang member and ex-con, whose dramatic turnaround inspired a recent TV movie, died May 2 of an accidental overdose of methadone, Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis ruled this week”

Note: An occurrence so common it doesn’t even raise an eyebrow anymore!

“Hormone therapy raises dementia, stroke risk” Columbus Dispatch 5/28/03

RE: Hormone Replacement Therapy, estrogen and progestin.

“…new research shows women 65 or older who take the drug face twice the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease….higher risk of stroke in those between 50-79 years old”

Based upon: May 2003 issue of JAMA

“Hormone Therapy is Risky, Study Warns” Columbus Dispatch 7/9/02

“Hormone replacement therapy…….should not be taken long-term because it carries more risks than benefits, national researchers…”

“The message is that estrogen plus progestin should not be used for the prevention of heart disease and other chronic diseases.”

The study had been intended to run until March 2005, but the study was suspended……….

“The letter informed study participants that for every 10,000 women taking HRT, experts could predict that 7 additional women would have heart attacks compared to those getting the placebo.”

“Smallpox plan to be unveiled. Vaccine could endanger millions” USA Today 12/13-

15/2003

“…some authorities fear mass public vaccinations could put

many people at risk, especially those with weakened immune systems who are vulnerable to

infection from the live virus used to make smallpox vaccine, say numerous smallpox experts”

Headlines related to Smallpox USA Today 12/13-15/2003

“Individuals must weigh risks of inoculations”

“Disease symptoms, risk of vaccine and government’s plan”

“For 60 million, the cure may kill”

“States on track to vaccinate public when liability coverage kick in”

Analgesic overuse among subjects with headaches, neck and low back pain.

Zwart et al, Neurology, May 11, 2004;62:1540-44

Up to 50% of all cases of chronic headaches are attributable to medication overuse. (Compared to a person who doesn’t take them.)

Taking daily analgesics for more than 6 mns:

=20x more likely to suffer chronic migraines. =10x more likely to suffer nonmigraine HAs. =3.5x more likely to suffer chronic neck pain. =3.5x more likely to suffer chronic LBP.

Note: 65,000 persons age 20 and older completed the survey.

“Prescription Drug Use Reaches Epidemic Proportions” Dynamic Chiropractic Feb 12, 2005

Health, United States, 2004, With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. National Center for Health Statistics. Hyattsville, Maryland, 2004.

Citizens taking one drug: 39.1% (1994) to 44.3% (2000) Citizens taking 3 or more prescription drugs:

11.8% (1994) to 16.5.% (2000)

Seniors taking more than 1 drug, with 50% taking more than 3 drugs.

Children are becoming major consumers of drugs, on par with parents.

The policy of prescribing multiple drugs simultaneously has become standard practice for most medical doctors and hospitals.

“Whooping Cough: Vaccines Not Stopping Global Rise of Disease” AP, Columbus Dispatch Sunday

4/28/02

“Whooping cough, largely regarded as an infant disease, is making a global comeback in all age groups.”

“Scientists don’t know why, but they suspect that protection from immunization wears off after a few years and that the bug has outsmarted vaccines used to control it for decades.”

“….bacterium may have evolved that are resistant to the vaccines used in some countries”

“Heart Attack risks leads to Vioxx Recall” AP, Columbus Dispatch Sunday 10/1/04

“Vioxx, the blockbuster arthritis drug heavily promoted on TV and taken by tens of millions of people, was pulled from the market by its maker yesterday after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.”

“Popular antibiotic increases heart risk” AP, Columbus Dispatch Sunday 9/9/04

“A widely used antibiotic long considered safe dramatically increases the risk of cardiac arrest, particularly when taken with some popular drugs for infections and high blood pressure, a study found.”

“The drug is erythromycin, which has been on the market for 50 years and is prescribed for everything from strep throat to syphilis.”

Source: NEJM 9/9/04

“Drug-Resistant Germs…Hospital Infections Spread into Community”

AP, Columbus Dispatch Sunday 6/23/02

“Lapses in infection control and overuse of antibiotics are spawning drug-resistant germs that are spreading from hospitals into the community at unprecedented rates.”

“Super Germs”

Over-The-Counter Drugs

Medication, moderation must mixColumbus dispatch

“A New York high school track star’s death from an overdose of the key ingredient in Ben Gay and other sports creams is a reminder to take all medications seriously regardless of how innocuous they may sem, experts say.”

Mirroring National TrendPainkill use soaring for Ohioans

Columbus dispatch/AP August 21, 2007

Laura Krietemeyer, 42, a former neurologist. Neurofibromatosis.

“…..Ohio doctors are more likely to ask their patients about pain and prescribe drugs for pain.”

Surgical vs. Nonoperative Treatment for Lumbar Disk Herniation. The Spine Patient

Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT): a Randomized Trial

Weinstein et al. JAMA 2006;296:2441-50

Second study: JAMA 2006;296:2451-9

Suggests surgery is no more effective than nonoperative treatments, including chiropractic, for patients with lumbar disk herniation causing sciatica.

Pts b/w March 2000 and November 2004 13 multidisciplinary spine clinics in 11 states 501 pts; mean age of 42 yrs. MRI confirmed and symptoms for at least 6

weeks.

Surgical vs. Nonoperative Treatment for Lumbar Disk Herniation. The Spine Patient

Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT): a Randomized Trial

Weinstein et al. JAMA 2006;296:2441-50

“Patients are often told that if they delay surgery, they risk permanent nerve damage, leg weakness, and even loss of bowel or bladder control. This is not the case. According to this study, the symptoms will resolve over a two-year period, even if the patient does nothing. “

[Deborah Pate, DC commenting]

Elderly Could Live Without Their Flu Shots, New Study Finds

AP article: The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday Feb. 15, 2005

Chicago- A new study based on more than 3 decades of US data suggests that giving flu shots to the elderly has not saved any lives.

NIH study Study’s lead author: Lone Simonsen

However the CDC and Prevention in Atlanta plans no change in its advice on who should get flu shots, saying the NIH research isn’t enough to shift gears.

FDA Calls for Boxed Warning on Fluoroquinolones

June/July 2008

Patients at higher risk for tendon problems while taking these antibiotics include those who are:

* over age 60; * taking corticosteroids; * recipients of kidney, heart, or lung transplants.

The fluoroquinolones include ciprofloxacin, gemifloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin.

Patients should contact their healthcare provider and stop taking fluoroquinolones at the first symptoms of tendon pain, swelling, or inflammation. They should also avoid exercise during this time.

CT scansLos Angeles Times Staff Writer September 7, 2008

“CT Scans can be better medicine for doctors than for patients.”

Radiation dose equivalent to more than a dozen standard abdominal X-rays

MD/DO’s ordered 68.7 million CT scans last year, more than triple the number in 1995

Generating tens of billions of dollars in billing each year, CT scanning has become an economic engine for hospitals and doctors, and the once-exotic million-dollar devices are starting to be found in private practices.

Medication MistakesArchives of Internal Medicine 2008

“On Monday, the Archives of Internal Medicine published its study of nearly 50 million U.S. death certificates and found that deaths from medication mistakes in the home increased by more than 700 percent over the last 20 years.”

Medication MistakesArchives of Internal Medicine 2008

“The increase in deaths was highest among baby boomers, people in their 40s and 50s. In addition, medical noncompliance causes more than 40 percent of all nursing home admissions and adds $200 billion annually to the U.S. healthcare bill.”

Robert Williamson, a 60-year-old Philadelphia man, recalls the cursory exam he received a few years ago from a harried doctor who, Mr. Williamson says, missed the danger signals and sent him home. A short time later Mr. Williamson had a stroke.

Cutting health costs by paying doctors more? July 21, 2008 NEW YORK TIMES

Cutting health costs by paying doctors more?

July 21, 2008 NEW YORK TIMES

For want of a careful examination by a primary-care doctor, Mr. Williamson became one of countless Americans each year whose unidentified or under-treated illnesses escalate into medical conditions with catastrophic personal and economic costs.

Besides incurring $30,000 in hospital bills paid by his employer’s insurer, Mr. Williamson had to stop working as a customer service representative at Philadelphia Gas Works and go on Social Security disability, at a current cost to taxpayers of $1,900 a month.

FDA Updates Pancreatitis Warning on Diabetes Drug

Associated Press story (Free)

The FDA is alerting physicians to six reports of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis in patients using the diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta).

Two of those patients died.

In October 2007, the agency first warned physicians of a possible linkbetween exenatide and acute pancreatitis, but there were no reports ofhemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis at that time.

The FDA says patients should not be given exenatide if pancreatitis issuspected. In addition, the drug should not be restarted after treatment for confirmed pancreatitis.

Antibiotics account for 19% of emergency department visits in US

for adverse eventsPublished 15 August 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1324

Adverse events associated with antibiotics result in more than 142 000 visits a year to hospital emergency departments in the United States. The drugs were implicated in 19% of all emergency department visits for drug related adverse events.

The rate among infants aged 12 months old or younger was 50% greater than the overall figure, at 15.9 visits per 100 000 prescriptions.

*Red Bull Drink Seen to Increase Stroke Risk*

By Rob Taylor CANBERRA (Reuters) Aug 15

Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of MI or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.

The results showed "normal people develop symptoms normally associated with cardiovascular disease" after consuming the drink, created in the 1980s by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz based on a similar Thai energy drink.

Tons of drugs dumped into wastewater. Discarded medications end up in drinking water, ongoing

report finds.

AP updated 4:16 p.m. ET, Sun., Sept. 14, 2008

U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals down the drain, pumping contaminants into America's drinking water, according to an ongoing Associated Press investigation.

These discarded medications are expired, spoiled, over-prescribed or unneeded. Some are simply unused because patients refuse to take them, can't tolerate them or die with nearly full 90-day supplies of multiple prescriptions on their nightstands.

Scariest Hospital Risks Forbes 2008

At least 1.5 million Americans fall prey to hospital error every year. The mistakes aren't exactly minor, either. Between 40,000 and 100,000 people die every year because of shoddy handiwork, including surgical mishaps and drug mix-ups. The death toll from mistakes is at least as bad as that from car accidents or breast cancer, and maybe as bad as that from strokes.

Scariest Hospital Risks Forbes 2008

1. Surgeon Error2. Infected Incisions3. Bleeding (blood thinners, etc.)4. Getting sicker in hospital5. Pneumonia6. Infected catheter7. Getting the wrong medication

HypercholesterolaemiaReasons to be cautious about cholesterol

lowering drugs

BMJ 2008;337:a1493 There are reasons to be cautious about

prescribing all cholesterol lowering drugs.1 The West Midlands Centre for Adverse Drug Reactions, which produces the Adverse Drug Reaction Bulletin, has recently issued a warning via the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning a potentially increased risk of cancer associated with simvastatin and ezetimibe when used in combination (Vytorin).2

HypercholesterolaemiaReasons to be cautious about cholesterol

lowering drugs(cont’d)

The FDA is apparently investigating a report from the simvastatin and ezetimibe in aortic stenosis trial. This trial tested whether lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol with Vytorin would reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in people with aortic stenosis.

A lower overall cardiovascular risk was not found with Vytorin. However, the trial found that a larger proportion of subjects treated with Vytorin were diagnosed with and died from all types of cancer combined compared with those given placebo during the five year study.

Merck Paid Elsevier to Publish Phony Peer-Review Journal

Tuesday, 05 May 2009http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/585/9/

“Merck is reported to have created a fake "peer-reviewed" journal to present favorable data that made its potentially fatal drugs—Fosamax and Vioxx--look good.”

Merck Paid Elsevier to Publish Phony Peer-Review Journal

Tuesday, 05 May 2009http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/585/9/

Documents uncovered during the Australian class action lawsuit involving 1,000 consumers, against Merck & Co and its Australian subsidiary, Merck Sharpe and Dohme, are shocking even to hardened critics of pharmaceutical industry corrupt practices.

Reports are swirling about Merck's underhanded marketing scheme evidently cooked up to mislead doctors into prescribing its potentially fatal drugs--Fosamax (for osteoporosis) and Vioxx (for pain). [1] [2]

Michael Jackson passes away at 50. Report says he collapsed

after taking prescription drugs. A report in Britain's The Sun newspaper, citing

a UCLA Medical Center source, claims that Jackson received an injection of Demerol -- a drug similar to morphine -- shortly before the incident and began breathing very shallow shortly after. A photo of a police 911 computer purportedly from a call related to Jackson says the subject was "not breathing at all."

The 'Thriller' superstar has long been addled by health problems and has had addictions to painkillers in the past.

AOL: June 26, 2009

Anesthesiology Deaths In the United States, the public and the medical

specialty of anesthesia were shocked in April 1982 by the ABC television program 20/20 entitled The Deep Sleep. Presenting accounts of anesthetic accidents, the producers stated that, every year, 6,000 Americans die or suffer brain damage related to these mishaps.[5] In 1983, the British Royal Society of Medicine and the Harvard Medical School jointly sponsored a symposium on anesthesia deaths and injuries, resulting in an agreement to share statistics and to conduct studies.[6]

Anesthesiology Deaths By 1984 the American Society of

Anesthesiologists had established the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. The APSF marked the first use of the term "patient safety" in the name of professional reviewing organization.[7] Although anesthesiologists comprise only about 5% of physicians in the United States, anesthesiology became the leading medical specialty addressing issues of patient safety.[8] Likewise in Australia, the Australian Patient Safety Foundation was founded in 1989 for anesthesia error monitoring. Both organizations were soon expanded as the magnitude of the medical error crisis became known.

Shut Up or Be Discredited: Merck Threatens Doctors Critical of Their Drugs

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by: Joanne Waldron, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) According to an article in The Australian by Milanda Rout, the folks at Merck are threatening the folks at Merck are threatening the livelihoods of doctors who dare to have negative livelihoods of doctors who dare to have negative opinions about its drugs.opinions about its drugs. Apparently, this fact was revealed in a very interesting e-mail that surfaced in a federal courtroom in Melbourne during a class action suit against Merck & Co and its Australian subsidiary, Merck, Sharpe and Dohme. Over a thousand Australians complained that they experienced heart attacks or strokes from taking Merck's Vioxx drug.



Shockingly, the article by Rout states that Merck employees created a list of doctors and other researchers who needed to be either "neutralized" or "discredited" due to the fact that they were critical of the Vioxx drug.

The methods used to do this included threatening to cut research funding and attempting to block academic appointments.



The telltale e-mail, according to Rout, stated: "We may need to seek them [critics of Vioxx] out and destroy them where they live."

This is pretty scary language, especially considering most people are under the impression that pharmaceutical companies are comprised of benevolent people whose mission is to save lives.

Japanese Data Show Vaccines Cause Autism

Posted on June 3, 2009 by childhealthsafety Just months following the US Court of Federal Claims

rejection of the claim that the MMR vaccine causes autism, here you will see data from formal peer refereed medical papers showing that vaccines caused autism in Japanese children and will be doing the same to children around the world. The number of Japanese children developing autism rose and fell in direct proportion to the number of children vaccinated each year.

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/japvaxautism/#Autism_Rose_Fell_With_Vaccinations

Japanese Data Show Vaccines Cause Autism

Posted on June 3, 2009 by childhealthsafety

FDA Weighs Reduction of Painkiller ODs

By AP / MATTHEW PERRONE Monday, Jun. 29, 2009

Tylenol, Excedrin, NyQuil. These household brands and others have come to symbolize safe, convenient relief from the aches and pains of everyday life. But this week the Food and Drug Administration is focusing on a seldom-discussed side effect of the medications: severe liver damage.



Acetaminophen overdoses send an estimated 56,000 people to the emergency room each year, according to the FDA.

Despite decades of educational campaigns, bolstered warnings and other federal actions, acetaminophen continues to be the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S.



But the 4 gram-per-day maximum dose listed on many medications is just below levels that can cause potentially fatal liver injury.

Rebound Acid Reflux with PPIs May Induce Dependence

SAN FRANCISCO, July 2 -- Proton-pump inhibitors (Nexium) may cause or aggravate the very acid-reflux symptoms they're used to treat, according to a randomized trial.

Rebound Acid Reflux with PPIs May Induce Dependence

After a two-month course of esomeprazole (Nexium), 44% of asymptomatic, healthy volunteers had clinically significant heartburn, acid reflux, or dyspepsia, compared with 15% who had taken placebo (P<0.001), according to researchers led by Peter Bytzer, MD, PhD, of Copenhagen University and Køge University Hospital.

Muscle Injury from Statins Can Hide Behind Normal Lab Tests

By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage TodayPublished: July 06, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO, July 6 -- Persistent muscle pain in patients taking statins may indicate structural damage to the muscles even when laboratory tests are normal, researchers found.

Muscle Injury from Statins Can Hide Behind Normal Lab Tests

By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage TodayPublished: July 06, 2009

Biopsy-assessed muscle fiber damage was seen in about 57% of patients with statin-related myopathy compared with 0% in controls (P<0.001), Annette Draeger, MD, of the University of Bern, Switzerland, and colleagues, reported in the July 7 issue of CMAJ.

But only one of these 44 myopathy patients in the study had abnormal serum creatine phosphokinase levels.

Zicam not only risky drug.AP by Jeff Donn 6/18/09

“Although widely sold for years as a drug for colds, it was never tested by federal regulators for safety like other drugs. And that was perfectly legal….until scores of consumers lost their sense of smell.”

RE: homeopathic remedies…..buyers beware.

Antibiotics“Antibiotic useless in treating acute bronchitis, study finds” AP Friday 5/10/02

Lancet, Cook County Hosp, Rush Medical College in Chicago

“Some experts said the findings confirm that antibiotics in general are useless for acute bronchitis and that no antibiotics, whatever the type, should be prescribed for it.”

Drug Sales Teams

“As Drug-Sales Teams Multiply, Some Doctors Shut Them Out.”

The Wall Street Journal, Friday 6/13/2003

90,000 drug reps..hiring spree 2002..$12B on drug reps, $2.76 on

drug ads Prescription drugs up 14% to $161

billion!

Rush Limbaugh 10/10/03, West Palm Beach, Fla.,

aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20031010154709990010

“….he is checking into a rehab center to ‘break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me.’”

OxyContin and other pain killers Started taking pain killers “some years ago”

after a doctor prescribed them following spinal surgery.

His back pain stemming from the surgery persisted…

PCB’s“Farmed salmon high in PCBs, group says”

Washington Post 2003, study by The Environmental Working Group.

PCP, banned in the late 70’s. 7 of 10 farm salmon, PCP 16x higher than

wild salmon, 4x higher than beef and other seafood.

“A sharp rise in the consumption of farmed salmon may be posing a health threat to millions of Americans because of high levels of PCBs that have been found in limited samples of fish.”

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers “PBDE”

Flame Retardant Found in Breast MilkUSA Today 9/23/03

The Environmental Working Group, published in Environmental Health Perspectives

“A toxic chemical used to make furniture, foam and electronics fire resistant is turning up in high amounts in the breast milk of women in the USA.”

Muscle Relaxants“Muscle Relaxants: Overused, Ineffective and

Acute LBP”Bernstein E, Carey TS, Mills Garrett J. The use of muscle relaxant

medications in acute low back pain. Spine 2004;29(12):1346-51.

Cohort of 1600..MC-LBP. …while muscle relaxant use was quite common among

patients with acute LBP, the drugs did not help patients return to normal functioning more quickly than patients not taking muscle relaxants, and in fact, were associated with an increase in the time it took for patients to recover from pain.”

Return to functional recovery: 16.2 days vs. 32.4 days ( m. relaxants)

Neurontin“Pfizer settles fraud cae for $430M”

USA Today 5/14/04

Epilepsy drug, Neurontin was market for uses unapproved by the federal government.

Pfizer’s 2003 revenue was $45.1 B. Pfizer aggressively market drug for bipolar

disorder, ADD, Lou Gehrig’s disease, drug and alcohol withdrawal seizures, migraine headaches, and restless leg syndrome.

Placebo worked as well for bipolar disorder. “Consultant meetings in Fl, Hawaii, Olympics Whistler blower made $26.6 million

Overuse of Pain Killers“Overuse of painkillers increase risk of more

headaches”Columbus Dispatch, AP 6/15/04

Dr. David Rothner presented info at the American Headache Society. Of 680 pts, 22% overused nonprescription headache medicine. “Overuse increases the risk of such side effects as stomach bleeding

or kidney or liver damage…” “…overmedicating actually can worsen some kids’

headaches, a syndrome called rebound headache that eventually can spur almost daily headaces.”

“Parents should do everything they can to get these kids off of the analgesics.”

32% of adults overuse.

OxyContin

“OxyContin: Doctors target of federal probe”

The Columbus Dispatch 8/5/02 AP (Washington Post)

OxyContin killed 450 people Prescribed more than 6 million times in 2001 60-count indictment in May with drug-trafficing

violations.

FDA Panel Votes to Ban Vicodin, Percocet

AP New York Times July 2009

……… citing the danger posed to the liver by products combining narcotics with acetaminophen.

The FDA does not have to heed the advice of its expert panels, but it frequently does, according to the New York Times.

If the FDA follows the panel's recommendation, seven other prescription drugs combining acetaminophen and narcotics could also be banned.

In addition, the panel voted to reduce the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen to less than 4000 mg and the maximum dose in over-the-counter formulations to 325 mg (down from 500 mg).

New York Times story (Free)

Prescription drug abuse skyrocketing400 percent rise in those admitted for treatment, government study says

Source: Healthcare on MSNBC. by Emma Ashburn updated 7/15/2010 5:09:47 PM ET

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials reported a 400 percent increase over 10 years in the proportion of Americans treated for prescription painkiller abuse and said on Thursday the problem cut across age groups, geography and income.

Prescription drug abuse skyrocketing400 percent rise in those admitted for treatment, government study says

The dramatic jump was higher than treatment admission rates for methamphetamine abuse, which doubled, and marijuana, which increased by almost half, according to figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

They said 9.8 percent of hospital admissions for substance abuse in 2008 involved painkillers, up from 2.2 percent in 1998. The percentage of people admitted to treatment for alcohol dropped by 5 percent and for cocaine dropped by 16 percent over the same period.

Executive Order 2010 – 4SEstablishing the Ohio Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force


Prescription drug abuse is a national Prescription drug abuse is a national public health problem.public health problem.

“A 2006 Centers for Disease Control reportdemonstrated that between 1995 and 2005, the annual number of unintentional drug overdose deathsunintentional drug overdose deaths in the United States more than doubled due to increasing deaths from prescription drugs.”


Prescription drug abuse is a national Prescription drug abuse is a national public health problem.public health problem.

“The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that the number of admissionsadmissions for substance abuse treatment for prescription drugs increased by 141% from 1998 to 2006.”


Ohio’s prescription drug abuse problem is an Ohio’s prescription drug abuse problem is an epidemic.epidemic.

“In 2007, unintentional drug poisoning became the leading cause of injury death in Ohio, surpassing motor vehicle crashes and suicide for the first time on record. From 1999 to 2007, Ohio’s death rate Ohio’s death rate due to unintentional drug poisonings due to unintentional drug poisonings increased more than 300 percentincreased more than 300 percent. The increase in deaths has been driven largely by prescription drug overdoses caused by opioids (pain medications). Prescription opioids are Prescription opioids are associated with more overdoses than any associated with more overdoses than any other prescription or illegal drug, including other prescription or illegal drug, including cocaine and heroincocaine and heroin.”.”


Significant efforts to address the problem of Significant efforts to address the problem of prescription drug abuse are currently underway.prescription drug abuse are currently underway.

The Ohio Department of Health Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services The Department of Job and Family Services The Ohio Attorney General’s Office The Ohio Medical and Pharmacy Boards U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown: Drug Enforcement Administration and the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Local task forces and working groups Legislative efforts being undertaken by the Ohio General

Assembly.


Ohio needs a more coordinated, multi-Ohio needs a more coordinated, multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional approach disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional approach to the problem of prescription drug abuse.to the problem of prescription drug abuse.

“Too many Ohioans have lost their lives or have been impacted by the devastating effects of addiction because of abuse and diversion of prescription drugs.””


““Accordingly, I Accordingly, I order the order the establishment establishment of an Ohio of an Ohio Prescription Prescription Drug Abuse Drug Abuse Task Force Task Force (OPDATF).”(OPDATF).”

What about BWC?Cost Drivers: Drugs, surgery, hospital-based

care/PT

Statistics: Drugs use skyrocketed from 1998 thru 2003. $59 million to $139 million, with LESSLESS claims in the system, at the same time Chiropractic care was basically under assault regarding chronic pain management.

Result: drug addiction, no improvement in RTW.

Thomas Edison...

““The doctor of the future will give no The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, exercise, and in the frame, in diet, exercise, and in the cause and prevention of disease.cause and prevention of disease.““

Dorland’s Medical Dictionary

Health is state of mental, physical, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Hippocrates..”The Father of Healing”

“Look well to the spine for the cause of disease.”

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