Sometimes, no one knows about the risk a drug carries until too late. This is partly due to the FDA approval process and partly due to the inherent uncertainty in developing new drugs. Sometimes, doctors have been sold on a new drug by pharmaceutical companies so they believe the companies' claims of safety and effectiveness. Sometimes, doctors don't research drugs to keep current on new risks, and even when doctors do research drugs, the scientific literature has been flooded by pharmaceutical-company sponsored research that tells only the positive side of the story.

 

But sometimes doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers have a financial stake in the drugs that they prescribe, and they risk injury to patients with new and unproven drugs and medical devices out of a profit motive. If you think your doctor may have given you a dangerous drug out of a desire for profit, schedule a medical malpractice consultation with Schlichter, Bogard & Denton today.

 

Profit from Expensive Drugs and Devices

 

Doctors may not have invested in a dangerous drug or technology, but hospitals often make more profit when an expensive new drug is used than when an older, cheaper alternative whose risk profile is well-known and often lower. Hospitals and doctors may even be given kickbacks by drug companies for every prescription written for potentially dangerous drugs. In many cases, the new drugs have at best marginal benefit over older treatments and are only beneficial in special cases, but doctors adopt them as the standard treatment.

 

Market Forces Promote Dangerous Drugs

 

Sometimes doctors find their hands are tied when it comes to prescribing certain potentially dangerous drugs. With pharmaceutical companies spending billions on direct-to-patient marketing, some people come to their doctors convinced that they should get a new drug or treatment because of its newness or supposed effectiveness. When this happens, doctors may not be sufficiently vocal in explaining risks because they are afraid they will lose "doc-shopping" patients.

 

This situation often occurs when a new drug promises "convenience," such as the convenience of once a week (Ortho Evra) or once a month (NuvaRing) birth control.

 

If you believe your doctor may have prescribed inferior or risky treatment options over safer ones, please contact Schlichter, Bogard & Denton today to schedule a free initial case evaluation with a medical negligence lawyer.