Lawsuits and Prescription Drug Side Effects

Before a new pharmaceutical drug can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration and made available to the public, the drug company responsible for manufacturing the medication must conduct extensive research and perform long-term clinical trials in order to ensure the drug's safety and effectiveness. For the most part, the FDA depends on this data to measure the value of a medication and to make sure the drug will not cause any unnecessary harm when taken by consumers, since the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research doesn't actually test drugs. Consumers, in turn, depend on the FDA's approval of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as FDA warnings concerning medications, in order to make educated decisions about whether or not certain drugs are right for them.

This transfer of critical drug information is key to constantly monitoring medications on the U.S. market and protecting consumers from suffering unnecessary pharmaceutical drug-related injuries; any break-down in this process, intentional or not, can severely affect the safety of consumers and the reputation of drug companies. Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for producing safe medications, providing accurate and up-to-date drug information to the FDA and healthcare providers, and marketing their drugs only for FDA-approved purposes. Unfortunately, some big drug companies take it upon themselves to deviate from these responsibilities, sometimes employing misleading and even illegal practices to benefit their own best interests. Even the FDA has come under fire by experts who fear the agency may not be enforcing adequate safety regulations against deceptive drug companies. Not only are these actions immoral, but they may actually lead to injuries and even fatalities among adults, adolescents and children alike.