Pain Medication and Politics - The Politics of Pain Medication
Vioxx Found to Raise Risk of Death Long Before Pulled from Market
Painkiller Vioxx was pulled from the market by its manufacturer, Merck, in September 2004 because it was found to raise the risk of death from cardiovascular events. Now researchers have found that the evidence that Vioxx was a threat to health was there long before the company pulled the product. Merck made about $2B in sales on Vioxx.
Back From Iraq? What To Do With The Pain?
Pain is the most commom symptom military personnel come home with after combat. To date, the Defense Department has no real, national pain managment program in place for soldiers returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones. That is set to change with the 2009 National Defense Act, which includes wording from the Military Pain Care Act.
National Pain Care Act of 2009 - Bipartisan Pain Relief
While you may see a lot of bickering on the news reports about health care reform, there is some bipartisan work going on that could benefit people living with chronic pain, provided the bill passes.
Pfizer Unethical Marketing Practices Settlement Adds $2.3B to FDA
A settlement between Pfizer and Department of Justice for Pfizer's unethical marketing strategies will add $2.3B into the US health care budget. Pfizer attempted to sell Bextra and a number of other drugs off-label, which means the FDA did not approve the use of the drug for the purpose Pfizer stated in their marketing materials. Bextra was marketed off-label as a pain killer.
Oxycontin Execs Avoid Jail Time
OxyContin is an opioid pain medication that, while effective, is no less addicitive than any other opioid - that is to say – it is very addicitive. For a long time, sales reps of the company, unchecked by top management, had the public believing that because the drug was "long acting" this meant that risk of addiction was reduced. Not so.
National Pain Care Act
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Pain Care Act of 2009. What can the National Pain Care Act do for you?
The Public Was Mislead About OxyContin - It Is Addictive
Top executives at Purdue Pharma, the makers of the OxyContin, admitted to misleading consumers about its risk of addiction, tolerance and abuse.
Giuliani and Pain Medication
In 2002, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani sold the use of his good name to help Purdue Pharma out of its legal troubles. Purdue had admitted in court to misleading the public on the addictive effects of their blockbuster drug, OxyContin. Giuliani was a trusted public figure and Purdue needed some crisis management PR – it was a match. Did the liaison help the execs to avoid jail time?
Poppies and Populations-Opium Fields and the World's Narcotics Supply
Afganistan holds the world's largest supply of poppy fields, the raw material for narcotic medication. But are US politics making the world's drug problems worse?
Ted Kennedy's Back Injury a Catalyst for Health Care Reform
In 1964, Senator Kennedy was in a plane crash while on his way to a state convention. During his lengthy stay in the hospital, he committed himself as a health reform advocate.
Vioxx History - A Timeline for the Recalled NSAID
Vioxx History - A Timeline for the Recalled NSAID
Pain Relievers and Heart Disease Connection - Still Confusing
Post Vioxx trial 2006, surveys reveal that arthritis patients are still confused about the connection between pain relievers and heart disease.
Will All Cox-2 Inhibitors Cause Heart Problems?
The awareness of the increased cardiovascular risk associated with Vioxx and Bextra has many people wondering if all drugs in the Cox-2 inhibitor class, i.e., those still on the market, will increase the possibility of heart disease in takers. Two recent studies, published in The Journal of the American Medical Society lend insight into this issue.
Cox-2 Inhibitors (such as Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra) compared with Opioids...
How do cox-2 Inhibitors (such as Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra) comparewith Opioids (such as morphene) in side effects and pain relief?
