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FDA Places New Restrictions on Guidant

New limits imposed by the FDA on Guidant, maker of an implantable heart defibrillator found to be defective, will make it difficult for new products made by the company to be approved for commercial sale, as the agency applies pressure to the company to improve its manufacturing procedures. In the l

By The Legal Examiner

/ 16 Feb 2006

Canadian Cop Charged in Taser Incident

An Edmonton cop, who was once hailed as a hero for saving a man from a burning building, has been charged with assault after a teen was allegedly Tasered while in a police cellblock. The boy alleged he was Tasered once by a police officer while in the cell. Detectives from police internal affairs in

By The Legal Examiner

/ 16 Feb 2006

FDA: Certain Parkinson's Drugs Lead to Greater Risk of Gambling

The FDA is reporting that certain drugs used to treat tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease actually increase the risk of pathological gambling. The latest results are consistent with earlier observations and add to evidence that Parkinson’s drugs may lead to impulsive behavior as they make up

By The Legal Examiner

/ 15 Feb 2006

"Black Box" Drug Warnings Often Ignored by Healthcare Providers

In a Wall St. Journal article published today, many patients are told to use drugs with black box warning in spite of these drugs being unsuitable for them. A new study of medicines prescribed in the U.S. has found that many patients are told to use drugs with “black box” warnings even though those

By The Legal Examiner

/ 14 Feb 2006

Family Deals With Life After Taser

The following story ran in The Globe and Mail newspaper:Samantha Foldi faces life as a widow from her wheelchair. For nearly 10 years, since a car accident left her partially paralyzed, she relied on her husband Jim for so much. He quit his construction job to help with her rehab and to care for the

By The Legal Examiner

/ 14 Feb 2006

Taser Found to Be 39 Times More Powerful than Manufacturer Claims!

In an article reported this morning in the Arizona Republic, a study measuring electric shocks from a Taser stun gun found that it was 39 times more powerful than the manufacturer claimed, raising new questions about the weapon’s safety.The study, published last month in the peer-reviewed Journal of

By The Legal Examiner

/ 13 Feb 2006

New Seat Belt Law in Florida

It’s been a little less than two months since a new, but little publicized seat belt law went into effect in Florida. The new law allows police officers to stop drivers and occupants of vehicles who are not using seat belts. The catch is that they have to be under 18 years old in order to be stopped

By The Legal Examiner

/ 12 Feb 2006

FDA Official Says Vioxx Maker Merck Had Plenty of Time to Warn Patients of Danger

Merck could have immediately warned Vioxx patients that the drug might cause an increased risk of heart attacks rather than waiting two years before issuing a warning, according to a former FDA official. Richard Kapit said there was plenty of time to alert the public before Richard “Dickie” Irvin be

By The Legal Examiner

/ 12 Feb 2006

Former Cop to Plead Guilty to Illegal Use of Taser

A former Escambia County deputy accused of illegally shocking a Pensacola woman with a Taser stun gun is expected to plead guilty next week, federal court documents show.The deputy shocked the Pensacola woman 4 times with the Taser after responding to a possible child abuse incident.

By The Legal Examiner

/ 11 Feb 2006

Health Experts: FDA Oversight Needs to be More Open and Transparent

The chairman of an outside committee of medical experts that advises the Food and Drug Administration on drug-safety issues said Friday the agency’s own drug-safety oversight board needed to be more open and transparent. The chairman of the committee recommended that the FDA add new members to its o

By The Legal Examiner

/ 11 Feb 2006

The Effects of Aging on Your Ability to Drive

I’ve lived in Florida now for more than 25 years. One thing you notice quickly here besides the weather is the number of elderly drivers. According to 2002-03 statistics, there were almost 15 million drivers in the state of Florida. Out of that 15 million, over 2.2 million were between the ages of 6

By The Legal Examiner

/ 10 Feb 2006

FDA Panel Recommends Black Box Warning for Certain ADHD Drugs

In a surprise move, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted to recommend that stimulant drugs widely prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder carry strong “black box” warnings about potential cardiovascular risks.The warning proposed by a member of the committee would

By The Legal Examiner

/ 10 Feb 2006