I’m sure glad I don’t have type 2 diabetes. If I did and was taking GlaxoSmithKline’s medicine Avandia, I’d have to be doing a lot of talking to my doctor according to the drug’s safety information. It said so in a letter published today by GSK’s chief medical officer Ronald Krall in which he states that Avandia is safe as far as he knows. Except, that is, for the swelling, brittle bones, exacerbation of heart problems, swelling in the back of the eyes, pregnancy complications, breathing issues, etc.
So let me get this straight — while I’m sitting for an hour in the doctor’s office waiting to see the doc and the pretty young women with the pearly whites and tray of luncheon meats cuts the line , she’s telling the physician about all of these side effects? I don’t think so. That would be bad for sales. GlaxoSmithKline is putting it on me to know all the side effects of its products? I’m supposed to play 20 questions with my doctor? Pharmaceutical companies can’t publish pages of side effects and expect normal people to read them. Somebody is not doing their job and I’m betting it’s the FDA.
There was a time when my doctor knew if a medicine was safe for me. Not any more.