Putting Profits Over Safety
Dangerous Drugs & Defective Medical Products
Prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and medical devices 
are used by millions of people worldwide and are intended to improve one’s quality of life and even sustain life.
Whether you are watching TV, reading the newspaper, or reading your Twitter feed, there have been rashes of recalls leading to litigation and lawsuits involving defective medical devices and pharmaceutical products.
While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires medical devices and drugs to complete some level of testing, an FDA loophole may be putting patient’s lives at risk. A current law allows manufacturers to “fast track” approval of new medical devices that may be similar to existing devices – even if the existing devices have been recalled from the market due to dangerous design defects. This approval process is called 510(k) Clearance.
Yet, with all of the testing the FDA requires, dangerous drugs and defective medical devices still are approved for use.
In an effort to reap profits, manufacturers often rush their products to the market and fail to sufficiently test the drug or medical device. Additional problems can include design defects, manufacturing defects, lack of quality control and contamination, faulty labeling, off-label use and unapproved usage, false marketing and promotion, lack of known warnings and undisclosed side effects, faulty packaging, and more.
Unfortunately, as long as profits are at stake, there will also always be some companies which are willing to forgo certain safety advances in favor of profits. The injuries caused by defective medical products or by taking a dangerous or defective drug can be devastating, even deadly. If you or a loved one is suffering from the effects of a defective medical device or dangerous drug, seek medical attention immediately. Then contact an attorney to learn about your legal rights.
Resources:
FDA Drug Recalls
FDA Medical Device Recalls
Public Citizen Worst Pills/Best Pills
