The Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to warn consumers about potential drug side effects. The Maryland Pharmacists Association reports that sometime this year, the FDA will require all prescriptions to include a “side effects statement” that lists all of a drug’s potential side effects. The proposed labeling could appear on prescription containers and will advise patients to contact their health care provider and the FDA if they experience drug side effects.
Many of these side effects initially may be as minor as a runny nose or muscle stiffness. However, many of these insignificant annoyances can develop into more serious health concerns if a patient continues taking the prescription. To prevent more serious side effects, a patient should recognize any less serious side effects that might occur first and immediately contact their doctors. However, in order to take action, a patient has to know all of a drug’s potential side effects.
Listen to any radio or television commercial for the newest “wonder drug” and you’ll be shocked by the long list of potential side effects that the announcer speed reads before the commercial ends. Maryland medication error attorneys urge our readers to consult their physicians before taking medications so that they know a drug’s potential side effects.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a medicatione error, contact Maryland medication error lawyers for a free consultation.