Louisville Dangerous Drugs Attorney

Patients obediently trust their doctors to accurately diagnose and prescribe proper medication after a medical exam. However, the combination of Big PhRMA’s influence and the ever-changing advancements in medicine and prescriptions often make it nearly impossible for primary care doctors to be in the know, by the minute. Pharmaceutical companies and drug manufactures have a duty to properly test medications and warn of any and all side effects. When they fail to do so and you are directly harmed, you need a Louisville injury lawyer specializing in dangerous drugs and medicines to help fight back.

If you think you may have been the victim of the side effects of a dangerous medicine, you need the expertise of a Louisville product liability law firm like Meinhart & Manning, PLLC. Call today to schedule a free consultation.

The Road to Market Dangerous Drugs

People often wonder how dangerous drugs can make it to the consumer. Pharmaceutical companies must receive government approval for their medication to be released to the public. That’s the law. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was formed to provide protection to the consumer by issuing that approval. The challenge is that the FDA is frequently not aware of the long-term side effects of medications because they may release the medication before these effects appeared.

Often the pharmaceutical companies who are anxious to get their product to the market, hold back essential information from their research. Sometimes it’s only after the product has been used for many years or decades that the most harmful side effects become apparent.

Possible Risks of Prescription Errors

Dangerous medicine can cause serious, life-altering injuries. Some of the possible effects of dangerous drugs are:

• Embolism
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Bone degeneration
• Sterility
• Brain damage
• Hormonal imbalance
• Amputation
• Emotional problems

In the most severe cases, a dangerous drug can cause premature death. If a medication or other medical error caused a death of a loved one in Kentucky, contact our Louisville wrongful death lawyers for immediate legal help.

Dangerous Medicines

The following medications are just some of the dangerous medicines that have been reported to have serious side effects.

• Risperdal. Used for autism in children, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, the drug was later found to cause breast growth in men along with other dangerous side effects.
• Accutane. This acne drug is already known to cause birth defects. There have now been lawsuits claiming that the drug may also be linked to suicidal behavior.
• Mirena. A contraceptive device for women that is responsible for tens of thousands of reports to the FDA of vaginal bleeding and uterine perforation.
• Fosamax. One of several medications used to treat osteoporosis, it is part of a class of drugs called bisphosphonates. These medicines are responsible for causing a condition called osteonecrosis of the jaw. This debilitating condition is also called “bone death.”
• Pradaxa. This drug can cause intracranial hemorrhaging (bleeding of the brain) and gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Zithromax. The FDA issued a warning in 2012 against Zithromax. The warning indicates that the medication can cause changes in cardiac electrical activity which raises the risk of heart attacks.
• Actos. Long term users of this diabetes medication have an increased risk of bladder cancer. In 2011, the FDA issued a warning regarding this issue.
• NuvaRing. This contraceptive has been linked to an increased risk of life threatening conditions such as blood clots and stroke. There are claims that the manufacturers of the NuvaRing device may have known about the dangers and failed to report them.

What Factors Can Cause Medication Errors?

There are several factors that contribute to medication errors in an individual. Some common causes of medication errors include:

Improper/Lack of therapeutic training – Healthcare professionals that lack the necessary training, or have received improper training, can result in a medication error.

Inadequate drug knowledge – If a healthcare professional is not aware of the side effects, or the drug’s synergistic effects with other prescriptions, over the counter medication and pre-existing conditions can lead to medication errors that result in complications for the patient.

Inadequate knowledge of the patient – This can result from several factors including, but not limited to, patients unable to communicate as a result of language barriers or unconsciousness, lack of previous medical history records or physical and emotional health issues.

Naming of medicines – The nomenclature of medicines can cause confusion.  Unfortunately, medical professionals can sometimes confuse similarly named medications. In certain instances, medications can have very similar names but be utilized very differently. When a medication is confused for another, the results can be catastrophic.

If you or a loved one believe that a medication error has caused a side-effect, injury or another physiological issue, our Louisville dangerous drug lawyers are here to help. We understand how complex these cases can be, and utilize our expertise and experience to help alleviate the complexities of navigating cases involving dangerous drugs.

Dangerous Drug Market Withdrawal Versus Product Recall

When the risks of a dangerous drug outweigh the benefit the medicine can provide, it will be removed from the shelves. Sometimes a manufacturer will issue a market withdrawal rather than a formal recall because it doesn’t attract the same attention that a recall does. Since it’s not a recall, the product that is currently in the marketplace does not need to be returned. In these cases, the existing product can continue to be sold and used, but the manufacturer simply stops producing and distributing more of the drug.

Legal Liability For Dangerous Drugs

Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that the products they produce and bring to market are safe for consumers in the short and long term. If you have experienced any symptoms that you think may be related to the use of a dangerous drug, contact your doctor right away.

Contacting a Louisville product liability attorney as well will help you find out what your options are to recover damages for your injury. The team at Meinhart & Manning, PLLC provides compassionate legal representation. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation.