Legal news for New York drug related injury lawsuits.
FDA investigates Darvocet overdoses and deaths in patient’s nationwide.
New York,NY–The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) http://www.fda.gov announced on July 7, 2009, the governmental agency is making strides to help reduce the risk of overdose from pain medications like Darvon and Darvocet. The two pain medications contain the drug propoxyphene, which has been linked to accidental deaths from overdoses.
Although the FDA has found propoxyphene effective in pain management treatments, it poses potentially hazardous risks. The FDA is asking the manufacturers and retail companies of propoxyphene to supply more information to aid physicians and patients, in the determination of whether the pain killer component is an appropriate treatment for the patient and their medical issue. Propoxyphene reportedly has been on the market since 1957, to treat mild to moderate pain. Some side effects of propoxyphene have been linked to lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, and vomiting.
The FDA has released several actions in which will combat deaths from overdoses:
• Manufacturers and makers of propoxyphene-containing medicines are required to strengthen the warning label on the medication box to indicate the high risk for overdose when consuming the product.
• Manufacturers are required to provide an FDA-approved medication information guide to each patient to emphasize the importance of consuming the pain medication only as directed by their health care provider.
• The FDA has mandated a new safety study to research the effects of propoxyphene on the heart when used at higher than recommended dosages.
• The FDA is planning on joining forces with other federal agencies, like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to produce additional studies to determine the safety of propoxyphene-containing products compared to other commonly used pain medicines.
• The FDA has assured they will further evaluate propoxyphene and its safety, and will implement regulatory action if needed.
Consumers are advised to know the risks associated with pain medication when making a decision to treat pain. All pain medications, not just propoxyphene, produce side effects. Patients are advised to speak to your health care provider to determine an appropriate pain management to achieve relief from your pain and suffering.
Legal news reports for New York drug related injury lawsuits.
