A New Orleans jury found for a heart attack victim in the latest round of Vioxx court battles. The jury awarded Gerald Barnett, a 62-year-old retired FBI agent $50,000,000 in compensatory damages. Mr. Barnett took Vioxx for 31 months and had had a quintuple bypass at the age of 58. The jury found that Merck, the maker of Vioxx, had failed to adequately warn doctors about the drug’s potential cardiac risks.

A Philadelphia jury has returned a $5,000,000 judgement against the manufacture of Tylenol for infants. McNeill-PPC was slapped with the verdict for failure to warn of overdose dangers that caused liver damage and death to a 5 year old. Infant Tylenol is more potent than children’s Tylenol and the label did not sufficiently advise of the drug’s concentrated formula.

Since the initial news broke about a link between the arthritis drug Fosamax and jaw bone death or osteonecrosis, a panel of medical and pharmacological experts has been convened to study the issue. In most instances, the resulting jaw bone death has occurred after Fosamax patients have had dental surgery or tooth extraction. As a result of the panel discussions, a new moniker for the phenomenon has been added: bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis, or BON.

A drug touted as an effective treatment of epilepsy has been shown to cause birth defects or fetal death in cases where mothers were taking the drug during pregnancy. The birth defects include malformed hearts and genitals, cleft palate, and artery deformities among children born to women taking Depakote. The rate of serious adverse outcomes for the other anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) tested was 10.7% for Dilantin (phenytoin), 8.2% for Tegretol (carbamazepine), and 1% for Lamictal (lamotrigine).

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In today’s Wall St. Journal,, there’s a disturbing article about the administration of anesthesia by those who are not properly trained. This lack of training significantly increases the risks of respiratory complications, cardiac arrest, brain damage and even death. According to the article which cites a University HealthSystem Consortium study, “there may be a potentially 1,690 incidents a year nationwide related to sedation-ranging from an overdose of drugs to a procedure that is started before a patient is adequately sedated.”

The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a plea to the FDA to tighten its monitoring of promised studies by drug companies. According to a Wall St. Journal story, “The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t know the status of many postapproval studies promised by drug makers and doesn’t make tracking them a top priority, a report released Friday said.The inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services said the FDA should improve its monitoring of the studies by upgrading its tracking systems and asking manufacturers to provide better information.”

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Last year, there were 81 deaths associated with boating accidents in Florida. The Sunshine State leads the nation in the number of registered boats. Yet, boaters often neglect important safety measures when cruising along the waters. Boaters should have sufficient life vests on board their vessels for every passenger. In addition, the use of alcohol on a boat is just as dangerous as when operating a motor vehicle.

As the entire west coast of Florida prepares for its first tropical storm of the season, it’s a good idea to review your safety checklist. (If you don’t have one, make one as soon as possible.) Make sure you know your evacuation routes, secure lawn furniture, check your water supply, and prepare to shelter your pets. Also, don’t forget about your important papers including homeowner’s insurance are in a safe and secure place. While we can’t avoid bad weather, we can prepare for it. Your life and the lives of those you love may depend on it.

At a recent political fundraiser I heard a congressman refer to the pharmaceutical industry as the “101st Senator” in the United States Senate. He was commenting on the tremendous influence that this industry holds over our elected officials in Washington. The pharma industry throws its influence and big bucks around the halls of power whenever a bill is introduced for consideration. In a democracy, each constituency has a right to voice their concerns. However, the public needs to be aware who influences their elected officials. Knowledge is power.

There is nothing as tragic as a young life lost- especially when that lost life is not a result of circumstances beyond control. Elisha Crews Bryant, 18, went to South Florida Baptist Hospital because she was experiencing premature labor pains. A nurse gave her 4 times the amount of magnesium sulfate, a common treatment to retard early labor. The baby survived but will live life without a mother.