Most Dangerous Prescription Medications and Medical Devices of 2016

Watch television for any amount of time and you are almost certain to see ads run by lawyers on the dangers of pharmaceutical projects or medical devices. “Did you lose a loved one after using the blood thinner Xarelto?”. “Were you injured after being implanted with an IVC Filter?” We hear lots of stories about the dangers of illegal street drugs, but statistics show that prescription drugs kill more people than their illegal counterparts. The CDC has called this an epidemic.

 

Do Prescription Meds Kill?

Yes, they do. Below is a chart of all drug overdose deaths in the U.S. organized by state.
 
According to the CDC,  opioids (typically prescription pain relievers and heroin) are the main driver of overdose deaths. Opioids were involved in 28,647 deaths in 2014, an increase of nearly 4x since the year 2000. Heroin accounted for 10,574 deaths in 2014. How many of the total deaths in 2014 were prescription drug deaths? More than 14,000

So what are the most dangerous prescription drugs today?

Below is a list of  some of the mass tort lawsuits that law firms around the country are going after because of the serious side effects that these drugs can cause. You’ve probably seen commercials for Xarelto lawsuits, but what are some of the most dangerous drugs on the market right now?

  • Xarelto
  • Zofran
  • Low T Testosterone replacement drugs like AndroGel, Testim, etc.
  • Invokana
  • Risperdal & gynecomastia

What are the most dangerous medical devices/procedures?

  • IVC (inferior vena cava) filters (currently many IVC filter lawsuits are being filed)
  • Transvaginal mesh & bladder slings
  • Knee & Hip replacements
  • Power morcellators

 

Doctors Operating

Do Doctors Always Have Your Best Interest at Heart?

In a word…no. Doctors don’t always do enough research on the products they are prescribing or on the medical devices they are using. Believe it or not, some doctors are influenced by pharmaceutical sales reps or medical device reps. While the industry has cracked down in recent years on “gifts”, it hasn’t totally eliminated them and many physicians rely on what their reps tell them to prescribe. In addition, some are heavily overworked and don’t spend the time they should on researching the data on what they are prescribing. Is this most doctors? No, but be warned that you should do your own research even when prescription medications are prescribed to you.