The pharmaceutical liability attorneys at BISNAR | CHASE have represented numerous victims of defective drugs -- people who have themselves been seriously injured or those who have lost loved ones as a result of severe or adverse drug effects. Now, we all know that all drugs have some type of side effect or other. We are prepared to deal with minor issues or effects, for instance, nausea, dry mouth or a stomach upset. However, year after year, we come across drugs that are not properly tested to begin with, that are hastily put on our store shelves and in pharmacies.
Drugs such as cold medication Zicam, have caused thousands to lose their sense of smell and taste. Drugs such as heart medication Digitek contained the wrong dosage worsening the condition of heart patients. Pain killer Vioxx led to serious adverse side effects such as heart attacks and seizures. Sleep medication Ambien causes people to sleep walk and in some cases, even drive while they are sleeping!
Defective Drugs
You have to wonder why there are so many defective products floating around in the market. What's in it for the manufacturers? The answer is: $$$. When pharmaceutical companies put these drugs in the market, all they see is dollar signs. They don't see the mom who cannot take care of her young children because she took Digitek and suffered a heart attack. They cannot see that middle-aged man who cannot smell or taste his food because he took Zicam to get rid of a cold. They do not see an active senior citizen who remains confined to his bed because of a stroke he had from taking Vioxx.
Drug Company Kickbacks
This week, I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about a federal complaint filed against Johnson & Johnson. Officials allege that the drug maker paid millions in kickbacks to Omnicare, the nation's largest pharmacy that specializes in dispensing drugs to nursing home patients. The complaint alleges that the company and two of its subsidiaries paid money to Omnicare to induce them to buy and recommend J & J drugs including the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal. These kickbacks have apparently been paid between 1999 and 2004 and took different forms including funds for data that were never provided, escalating rebates for taking J & J products and money for education programs for customers. And Omnicare charged Medicaid for a substantial portion.
These kickbacks benefit no one except the two companies here that have taken advantage of the nation's healthcare system, the elderly and the poor. In November 2009, the United States, numerous states and Omnicare entered into a $98-million settlement that, among other things, resolved Omnicare’s civil liability for taking kickbacks from Johnson & Johnson, the government said. This is not the first time a drug company is accused of such behavior. In October, biotechnology giant Amgen was accused by New York and some other states of engaging in illegal kickbacks to promote sales of its anemia drug Aranesp.
This story sheds more light on what many of us know to be largely, the culture of pharmaceutical companies. This is a classic case of two companies conspiring to take advantage of the elderly, insurance companies and the government. And, this is not an isolated event. These deceptive practices extend to what they put in our medicines, what they tell us about their medicines, and more importantly, what they don't tell us.
The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
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