The Medical Freedom Channel

“When it comes to drug safety, U.S. patients and doctors need less advertising hype and more data to help decide whether to use prescription medicines, health researchers said on Tuesday. A panel of behavior experts, statisticians and other scientists said the Food and Drug Administration should consider simpler information on risks and benefits, such as a chart listing basic facts and how new drugs compare to older ones. Drug advertisements in particular should be toned down so patients can make rational choices, several experts said. Often they make broad claims without proper data, they said. … The panelists’ comments came at the start of a two-day workshop held by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to discuss the risks and benefits of medicines.” (05/30/06)