This Holiday Season, Remember the Importance of Drug Labels

By Peter Pitts, Christian Post Guest Columnist Thursday, December 11, 2008

These days, getting the entire family around the same table is a rarity.

That's why the holiday season is a perfect time to sit down with loved ones and talk about the many issues that too often go ignored. One issue that's worthy of discussion? The importance of reading drug labels.

Americans today have access to more cutting-edge pharmaceuticals than ever before. But medicines carry risks. Failing to pay attention to a drug's label - by taking more than the recommended dosage or mixing with the wrong medicines - can lead to serious side effects.

Right now, only the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to approve drug labels. This helps consumers by ensuring that labels in all 50 states contain the same warnings about potential side effects and instructions for safe usage.

That may soon change. The Supreme Court is about to decide a landmark case about drug labels. The question before the Court is whether expert scientists at the FDA or local juries should have the final say regarding what's written on a prescription drug's warning label.

It all goes back to Diana Levine, a Vermont woman who went to a clinic because of a migraine. In the course of her treatment, a doctor's aide administered the anti-nausea drug Phenergan. Tragically, the drug was improperly injected despite an explicit warning label. Levine ended up losing her arm.

Levine sued the physician, the assistant, and the clinic. Each settled. But she also sued Wyeth, the company that produces Phenergan. A Vermont jury ruled that even though Phenergan's label had been approved by the FDA, Wyeth should have prohibited the method of administration used in Levine's treatment.

This put Wyeth in a pickle. By Vermont law, the company was now obligated to prohibit a particular method of drug delivery. Satisfying this requirement, though, would put the company at odds with the FDA.

If the Court rules against Wyeth, drugs could be required to have different labels in each state. And labels might end up reading like complex legal disclaimers.

Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, this case should remind all of us about the importance of carefully reading and following the instructions on drug labels. There's no better time than the holidays to make sure your loved ones are doing just that.