Doctor sues Merck for Vioxx after heart attack Posted by Rob Schneider at 04/02/06 10:31 AM

Recently, a doctor who fell for the drug detailers hype sued the drug makers for failing to warn about dangerous side effects. In a story on Bloomberg.com, "Merck Sued by Doctor Who Prescribed Vioxx, Had Own Heart Attack":

Dr. John Braun, 52, sued Merck and blames his 2004 heart attack on the Vioxx he said he took for 21 months. Braun will testify by videotape today at the trial of a lawsuit brought John McDarby, 77, who had a heart attack in 2004 after taking Vioxx for four years. Braun prescribed Vioxx for McDarby.

In an interview for the article, Dr. Braun said:

``You assume that when someone comes in to the office with literature about the drug that what they're telling you is true. You assume this drug is safe.''

The doctor's tesimony in the McDarby trial won't reveal that Dr. Braun suffered a heart attack, but Dr. Braun no longer will see the Merck drug detailers -- he says they weren't truthful about Vioxx' risks.
According to his deposition:

``I believe that this knowledge was something that was kept from the public as well as the doctors,'' he said. ``So when this happened, I really didn't trust Merck & Company. And I refused to let their drug reps in my office.''

What a terrible, but personal way to realize that the motivating force behind drug company marketing to physicians isn't what you would call objective eduction.

And a personal realization can't do much to undermine the billions of dollars drug companies put into physician marketing.

But there are other efforts designed to curtail the influence of drug detailing. The American Medical Students Association, AMSA, has been working to ban free drug company swag, and indidual doctors are making their own personal stands against detailing.

A groundbreaking effort to counter drug detailers with 'academic detailers' is getting off the ground in Pennsylvania. More on that later.

comments (1)

1 Posted by mrkgreene at 04/12/06 10:42 AM

Drug companies stand to make millions off of drugs that are sucessfully introduced into the marketplace. The marketing machine is massive for any new drug. Issues like safety are swept under the rug.

Here's a funny short film at huff post. You'll get the idea...

http://fun-new-drug.cf.huffingtonpost.com/