Every day, thousands of people in Texas rely on the assistance of drugs for relief from pain, help with bodily function and improved quality of life. However, there are times when drugs can have a damaging adverse effect. When pharmaceutical companies recognize the depravity of situations involving defective drugs, they are usually required to issue a mass recall. Unfortunately, there are times when this action comes too late and the health and safety of consumers has already been affected.
According to Forbes, pharmaceutical companies have been in the hot seat for engaging in ethically questionable behavior during the creation and testing of various drugs. These types of behaviors include the following:
- Pharma companies funding critical clinical trials with pressure on getting positive results.
- Hiding or not disclosing valuable information to the public regarding a drug’s performance during testing.
- Using outdated industry practices in lieu of innovation to prevent discrepancies from being discovered.
- Pharma companies paying doctors to say certain things in favor of a drug even if that information is skewed and incorrect.
WebMD reports that some of the most common reasons that drugs are recalled include the following:
- Contamination
- Poor packaging
- Mislabeling
- Manufacturing defects
If someone has taken a defective drug, they should immediately discontinue its use and watch for signs that the drug is causing harmful side effects. They should notify their health care provider and keep an eye out for recalls. Finally, they should find a safe and responsible way to discard the remaining drugs. The FDA also has a program where people can report any adverse reactions they have experienced as well as quality issues with the drug itself.