An investigation by Consumer Reports released on Tuesday, June 28, finds that drug labels are often missing critical safety warnings to keep patients safe from a prescription error or overdose. The researchers wanted to find out whether drugstores were including medication guidelines that are federally mandated for certain drugs. They also looked at the information consumers receive on the labels, stickers, or printed information that comes with the medication.
Here is what they found when they filled a prescription for the blood thinner, warfarin:
- 4 out of 5 pharmacies did not include the medication guide which is required for warfarin. That includes Target, CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens. Costco got it right.
- The pharmacies included their own printed material but they were different from the FDA-guide approved for warfarin and had conflicting information about alcohol consumption. (FDA says not to drink while on the drug).
- The font size was very small and difficult to read.
- Medical jargon has the potential to confuse a patient. There is no nationwide standard for language.
When a consumer receives a drug without an adequate warning, a product liability lawsuit can generally be filed if an injury occurs however, in a further erosion of American citizen’s rights, the Supreme Court in a June 5-4 ruling, decided consumers should be barred from suing the makers of generic drugs if the warning that accompanies the drug is inadequate. The ruling means generics drug companies do not have to update drug labels if there are new safety concerns, making them riskier for consumers. For brand name drugs, consumers can sue drugmakers for a failure to warn about a drug’s dangers.
Consumer Reports says the burden for checking a prescription falls on the consumer since about 1.5 million prescription errors occur every year which are preventable. Take your prescription to the pharmacist to double check he got it right. Ask about whether the drug should be taken with food, whether you can take vitamins, whether you can drink alcohol, and the common side effects, among other questions.
Sources: http://www.webmd.com/news/20110628/some-drugs-sold-without-safety-information and http://blog.pharmexec.com/2011/06/23/supreme-court-ruling-makes-generics-more-dangerous/
