Are You Being Prescribed The Wrong Medication?
Are you being prescribed the wrong medication? Pfizer and Upjohn were sued for advertising their drugs for conditions not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Are you being prescribed the wrong drug? Pfizer and its subsidiaries promoted drugs for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Among those drugs are Zyvox, Geodon, Lyrica, and Bextra. They are also accused of plying health care workers with kickbacks of cash, entertainment, and travel for promoting and subscribing those drugs and Viagra, Zyrtec, and Lipitor.
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In the nations largest health care fraud settlement, Pfizer was sued by the government and states for violating federal regulations in the promotion of drugs. Federal law prohibits that practice when the drug being prescribed is paid for by the federal health care program. Pfizer will pay $1 billion to the government and states that were part of the original law suit. A Pfizer subsidiary, Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. pleaded guilty to a felony charge violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and will pay a criminal fine and offer up $1.3.
Georgia will receive $21.7 million of those dollars. The Georgia attorney general’s office said the money will go toward the Medicaid program. The state Medicaid budget was $2.1 billion in the last year so that will help keep the program afloat for a bit longer.
photo by author
Does it make you wonder how safe any of our drugs are, and if we are being prescribed the correct medication? Why are the pharmacies also not held accountable for selling these drugs for conditions not approved by the Food and Drug Administration? With all the approved drugs out there, how did these drugs have a snow ball’s chance in hell of getting prescribed for the wrong illness? It boggles the mind with all the rules and regulation that seem to be in place. Who knows how many more suits are in the offing and how many trusted drugs (by the public) are wrongly prescribed?
http://healthmad.com/medicine/food-and-medicine-that-don’t-mix/
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Buma | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Possibly, that’s why everyone should be careful when trying to have medication and make sure that the medication is from a trusted source. I love your article, I’ll keep it in mind.
iearnonline | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
there should be stricter rules and more public awareness. good article.
Nikita K | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
I have never heard of these drugs (even though I come from a family of doctors) and this is something I’m completely unaware of. BUT off the research you’ve given, it does sound slightly bizzarre that health may be compromised. Interesting article that’s definitely going to attract attention.
Tanya Wallace | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
A very eye opening subject Ruby!It is rather scary to know that not only are these drugs being wrongly perscribed but they are perscribed by doctors who should know the difference and pharmacists who should also know the difference so as you stated how in the world is this happening!! Wonderful work as always but it is no less then I have come to expect from you!Excellent journalistic work!
ken bultman | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
The drugs you mentioned were never approved by my primary provider. Pfizer didn’t offer enough, I guess.
unown971 | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Hmm… great article!
CHAN LEE PENG | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Hopefully, this excellent article can alert people on the usage of medication. Well done, and have my liked it.
Christine Ramsay | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
An excellent article. It does make you wonder whether you on on the correct medication or not.
Christine
Jane Jane | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
nice one.. makes us aware of the possibilities of wrong prescription..=)
cutedrishti8 | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Nice one to share…Great work..
Dee Huff | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Scary thought, good article.
Lex92 | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
That’s a little scary…
Rajesh Kumar Ram | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Yes….we got to be aware and careful. Thanks for the article!
Katien | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Good article. I never take any medication without finding out as much as possible about it first, such as contra-indications. I’ve seen too many cases of people being prescribed the wrong medicines to trust doctors!
Lostash | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Most interesting read! I’m very lucky, no need to take regular drugs and little experience of treatment throughout my life! Halfway through it now (at 41) and I hope that will continue!
PR Mace | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Very scary as most of us take at least one medication if not more daily. I know I have to take two. Thanks for keeping up updated on this situation.
Ruby Hawk | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Thank you friends. I take medications myself prescribed by several doctors so I have to be extra wary.I don’t take any of those drugs mentioned and my drugs are pretty common but still it keeps you on your toes. these huge drug companies are out for the almighty dollar regardless of the people who buy their drugs.it’s up to us not to be taken in.
Netty net | Sep 5, 2009 | Reply
Lots of medicine will sometime have the ingredients list on it and there is also Web MD.
Hugo La Rosa | Sep 6, 2009 | Reply
Hmmm, that’s scary… Thanks for the information. Very few people
double check their medications after receiving them from the pharmacist’s hands. I’ll be on the look out myself! Regards, Hugo.
Anne Lyken Garner | Sep 6, 2009 | Reply
This is a concern for a lot of people. The responsibility is still ours before we start to take medication, to read as much about it as possible, and maybe talk to others who’re taking it. At the end of the day, it’s our body that it has to go into. These huge pharamacutical companies are all about making money and hardly anything else.
raman13 | Sep 8, 2009 | Reply
Good stuff
Keep the good work on
Best Regards
Melody SJAL | Sep 11, 2009 | Reply
Very scary.
Daisy Peasblossom | Sep 12, 2009 | Reply
\\\”Feed a cold, Starve a fever, and put no faith in doctors\\\”; unfortunately, many of us have no choice on that last bit; news on various prescription drugs has become rather scary in the last few years. Good article.