Is Dr. Jarvik qualified to be a professional spokesman for Lipitor?

Darkfrog submitted, created time 11 months 18 hours (www.nytimes.com)

Dr. Jarvik is famous for inventing a workable artificial heart, but he's not a cardiologist or even licensed to practice medicine. So why is he the face of choice for all those Lipitor ads? This article explores the propriety of these advertisements and lists inquiries into their ethics.

Dr. Jarvik isn' t just a celebrity face or a friendly testimonial. The use of his name implies some kind of expert endorsement, which he is not necessarily qualified to make

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: advertisements advertising marketing ethics Lipitor Pfizer cholesterol drugs prescription drugs science and culture

Fake(?) drugs circulate in free trade zones

Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 3 weeks (www.nytimes.com)

This is an article about the economic policies that encourage the international trade in "fake drugs." I'm halfway through the thing and it still hasn't said whether "fake" means sugar pills relabeled as antiretroviral AIDS medicine or just bona-fide generic drugs masquerading as brand name. That little tidbit ought to be in the first paragraph.

While patent violation is a crime and the companies that spent years of time and money developing drugs do deserve their fair share of the profits, this would make a big difference in how serious of an issue it is

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: prescription drugs generic drugs economics crime patents intellectual property

Off-label drugs changes 'a big mistake'

Eric wu submitted, created time 1 year 3 weeks (www.newscientist.com)

Is it right for drug companies to tout their wares for "off-label" uses? The US Food and Drug Administration seems to think so.

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: off-label use prescription drugs over-the-counter drugs OTC labeling FDA Food and Drug Administration

Hide your old pills in poop, government says

wugongliang submitted, created time 1 year 2 months (www.reuters.com)

Got some leftover drugs -- the kind that someone else might want to use, such as painkillers or stimulants? Wrap them up in used kitty litter or other pet droppings, the government advises.

2 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: prescription drugs illegal drugs

A Decade of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs

jiangyun submitted, created time 1 year 4 months (content.nejm.org)

Evidence suggests that direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs increases pharmaceutical sales and both helps to avert underuse of medicines and leads to potential overuse. Concern about such advertising has increased recently owing to the withdrawal from the market of heavily advertised drugs found to carry serious risks.

2 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: Advertisement Prescription Drugs Food and Drug Administration