Tyson Foods has 14 days to stop claiming that their chickens are “raised without antibiotics.” The deceptive nationwide campaign was brought to an end after rivals Sanderson Farms and Purdue filed suit claiming that all three poultry processors use antibiotics, and that Tyson was trying to steal an undeserved appearance of health.
Pharma Medicine
Drug Maker Develops "Abuse-Resistant" Oxycontin
By 5.2.08
In response to the epidemic of opiate addiction, Purdue Phrama LP the maker of Oxycontin, has developed a new version of the powerful painkiller that’s “harder to abuse.” According to an AP article, the government will soon be examining this new incarnation of the drug and evaluating the manufacturer’s lofty claims. How could this drug be made “abuse-resistant?” Details, inside…
Wachovia Now Being Investigated For Drug Money Laundering
By 4.28.08
Wachovia, you old rascal! As soon as you wrap up one unsavory scandal, a new possible scandal comes to light. U.S. justice authorities are investigating the bank for possible money laundering through Mexican and Colombian money-transfer businesses. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that “the bank is possibly facing a deferred-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice that would subject it to ‘extensive federal oversight,'” but Wachovia denies that any such discussion has taken place.
Glaxo Buys Aging Retardation Drug Company
By 4.24.08
GlaxoSmithKline is buying a U.S. biotechnology company that is researching resveratrol, the chemical compound found in red wine that may retard the aging process. The CEO of the company says that “drugs that mimic resveratrol, by activating enzymes called sirtuins, could ‘treat in a safe, natural new way, many of the major killers of western society.'” We can’t wait to see the commercials that GSK puts out for this one.
Recalled Heparin Contaminant Confirmed, And Congress Grills FDA On Inspections
By 4.24.08
Researchers have identified the chemical in the contaminated blood thinner Heparin that killed 81 people in the U.S. and made patients here and in Europe sick:The researchers freeze-dried the heparin and used a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and liquid chromatography-mass…
You Can Still Join A Fen-Phen Class Action Lawsuit
By 4.22.08
This lady started taking Fen-Phen and lost 30 lbs, but now she’s got high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and swollen legs, possibly indicative of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), the negative side effect American Home Products (now known as Wyeth) were successfully sued for upwards of $14 billion. When she called Wyeth, they told her that she had “waited too long” to file a lawsuit. However, the 2006 Fen-Phen settlement actually has a clause that says there’s no statute of limitations on filing a claim. Therefore, you can still join a class action lawsuit against them. Also goes to show you that calling up the customer service department probably isn’t the best route to take if you’re looking for objective information about suing that company…
Pre-Emption Doctrine Would Make FDA Responsible For All Drug Problems, Shield Big Pharma From Lawsuits
By 4.8.08
Johnson & Johnson is waiting to hear whether or not a judge in Ohio will allow any lawsuits over its Ortho birth control patch to move forward, and the New York Times says lawyers on both sides think there’s a good chance he may find in the company’s favor based on the doctrine of pre-emption. The argument goes that it’s the FDA’s responsibility to monitor the safety and labeling of drugs that go to market, and therefore if something goes wrong, it’s the agency’s fault and not the pharmaceutical company’s.
Need 30 mg? Walmart Charges You For Three 10 mg $4.00 Prescriptions
By 4.4.08
WalMart advertises that generic prescriptions are just $4.00 for up to a 30 day supply. What they don’t tell you is that it must be what they consider a “commonly prescribed dosage,” so if your doctor decides you need a different dosage they count it as separate prescriptions. For example, if a pill comes in 10mg, 20mg or 40mg strengths and your doctor wants you to take 30mgs. WalMart counts that as 3 – 10mg prescriptions and charges you $12.00 for a 30 day supply.
Free Printer Ink Refill At Walgreens Today
By 4.2.08
Walgreens is offering their customers a free printer ink refill today only at participating stores. Refills are available for the following printer brands: Dell • HP • Lexmark • Okidata • Primera • Sharp • XeroxGet them while they’re hot.
Round 12: Diebold Vs Pfizer
By 3.27.08
Pfizer hires stunt doubles to row for their not-a-physician (former) pitchman Dr. Robert Jarvik and this severely upsets Congress. They also don’t want you to use cheaper generics. And produce potentially misleading and sketchy commercials about Celebrex. And they also make car sick medicine for dogs.
CVS Underfills Your Prescription, Treats You Like A Junkie
By 3.26.08
CVS underfilled Shannon’s prescription and then treated her like a junkie when she complained. According to her email, after Shannon picked up her regular monthly batch of 60 Kolonopin pills, an anticonvulsant, she realized CVS only gave her 30. She called CVS and they insisted they gave her 60 pills. Shannon encouraged them to check their inventory, which CVS said was impossible. Shannon then asked them to fill one of the refills for the script. CVS told her that insurance wouldn’t cover more than 60 pills in 30 days. Shannon said that was fine, seeing as it’s dangerous to suddenly stop taking the drug, she would pay out of pocket. CVS then told her they would not do the refill “under any circumstances” and they would note her record for “drug-seeking behavior…”
Walgreens Fills High Blood Pressure Prescription With Generic Allergy Pills
By 3.24.08
Tina claims that last December she had her prescription filled at a Dallas Walgreens store, and was surprised to see that the pills had changed.
By 3.19.08
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A woman says she found a strange white substance, which police identified as crack, in her fish sandwich bought at Rally’s. The fast food place says, “We take the matter very seriously, and are committed to the safety of our food and customers.” [News12]
CVS To Pay $36.7 Million For Improperly Switching Medications
By 3.18.08
CVS has settled a lawsuit that alleges the pharmacy giant improperly switched customers to a more expensive form of their medication in order to collect more money from Medicaid.
Want To Trade Sex For Pills? Head Over To CVS!
By 3.14.08
Ramon Bautista Juta, 54, of the first block of Trumpet Court in Perry Hall was charged with two counts of possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute, possession and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, forgery of prescriptions and prostitution, police said. Juta had worked at the CVS in the first block of Compass Road in Middle River, police said.
11 Drug Companies Agree To Pay $125 Million For Fixing Prices
By 3.13.08
The Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) coalition filed suit against 11 drug companies in 2002 for artificially inflating the average wholesale price, or AWP, of certain drugs, including ones used to treat serious illnesses such as cancer and HIV. This week, PAL announced that the companies have agreed to pay $125 million to settle—82.5% of the amount will be used to compensate third-party payor’s claims, and the remaining 17.5% will be used for consumer claims. Here’s a list of the drugs involved, and after the jump is a quick guide to see whether you’ll qualify for a claim, pending the judge’s approval of the settlement.
Walgreens:"No One Will Want To Be Within 25ft Of You" If You Don't Take Your Depression Meds
By 3.12.08
Last week my mom told me about the unfortunate experience she had at Walgreen’s. She had recently switched to a new antidepressant and when she came down with a cold was concerned about taking OTC cold medicine with it.
