Pennsylvania Dangerous Drug Attorney

What Are Dangerous Drugs?

A dangerous drug is any medication, whether it is provided over-the-counter or via prescription, that allegedly causes injuries, complications, adverse side effects or death as a result of the drug being defective and unreasonably dangerous. Despite the thoroughness of the FDA’s drug testing and review process, some drugs enter the marketplace and end up being used by patients, sometimes causing significant harm. A drug recall occurs when a prescription or over-the-counter medicine is removed from the market because it is found to be either defective or potentially harmful. Sometimes, the makers of the drug will discover a problem with their drug and voluntarily recall it. Other times, the FDA will request that the medicine be recalled after receiving reports of problems from the public.

According to WebMD, there are a number of situations that might exist where a prescription drug is recalled. For instance, a drug might be pulled from the market if:

• It is mislabeled or packaged poorly
• It was contaminated during production or distribution
• The drug does something else besides its intended purpose

Attorneys are alleging serious injuries and other complications in Pennsylvania dangerous drug lawsuits being filed on behalf of affected patients.

Bad Drugs Risks

Besides that there could be unknown risks associated with a drug, there are other situations where a drug might cause dangerous side effects. In order to remain on the market, drug makers that manufacture drugs that may cause side effects must disclose this information so that it is readily available to consumers. Patients, in conjunction with their medical provider, can then weigh the benefits of taking the medication over the side effects it might cause.

Additionally, in some cases, a drug may be marketed for “off-label” use. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, off-label use refers to situations where a drug is taken for a different purpose than it’s intended for, or a dosage or dosage form is used that has not yet been cleared by the FDA. Although off-label use occurs in all specialties of medicine, it is most likely to occur in situations where certain groups of patients are not included in clinical trials.