All Topics

• Congressman Questions FDA About Sprint Fidelis Leads

  Joe Saunders | October 23, 2007 9:46 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has written a letter to the FDA requesting documents about their monitoring and evaluation of Medtronic's Sprint Fidelis defibrillator. The Sprint Fidelis was voluntarily recalled after Medtronic disclosed that the Sprint Fidelis leads were prone to fracture causing defective operation of the...

• Now it's Lipstick Being Scrutinized for Lead Levels

  Joe Saunders | October 15, 2007 6:10 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The FDA has agreed to investigate claims by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, an advocacy group, that certain lipsticks contain high levels of lead. Among the top brands testing positive for lead were:• L'Oréal Colour Riche "True Red": 0.65 ppm• L'Oréal Colour Riche "Classic Wine": 0.58 ppm• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red": 0.56 ppm• Dior Addict "Positive Red": 0.21...

• Medtronic's Heart Stent Runs Into More Problems with Safety

  Joe Saunders | October 08, 2007 4:32 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  A new study has revealed that Medtronic's new heart stent has shown more blood clots than its rivals in comparison studies. The new device has not yet received approval for sale in the US. Use of drug coated stents to prop open occluded arteries have been popular among physicians until recently. Stents are tiny mesh tubes inserted into the artery to prop them open after they've been cleared...

• FDA Warning Issued for Pain Drug Fentora

  Joe Saunders | September 27, 2007 10:45 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Fentora, used to treat pain in cancer patients, has drawn an FDA warning as a result of deaths in patients who were given the improper dosage or Fentora was incorrectly substituted as a pain management pharmaceutical. The FDA warning stated that Fentora should not be used in cancer patients who are unable to tolerate other opioiddrugs. Fentora was approved by the FDA last year for cancer...

• Dominican Bishop Accused of Sexual Abuse in Diocese of Venice

  Joe Saunders | September 24, 2007 4:34 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  A former bishop of the Catholic diocese of Bani in the Dominican Republic has been accused of sexual abuse by a 42 year old Cuban refugee. I don't understand why a bishop would be working as an ordinary priest in the Diocese of Venice. That is definately not the norm in the Catholic Church. Bishops simply don't become demoted and work as priests in different dioceses. I wonder if this bishop...

• FDA Warns Parents About Tainted Baby's Bliss Gripe Water

  Joe Saunders | September 23, 2007 4:50 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The FDA has issued a warning concerning Baby's Bliss Gripe Water marketed toward infants who are teething and have colic. The bottles have been shown to be tainted with Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause diarrhea and intestinal infections. The warning comes after a six week old infant became sick after using the defective product. Baby's Bliss Gripe Water is a liquid herbal supplement...

• Dole Salad Mix Recalled for E coli Contamination

  Joe Saunders | September 22, 2007 5:07 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Dole's Hearts Delight salad package mix, tainted with E coli bacteria, has prompted a product recall in 9 states so far. The tainted lettuce was sold in a store in Canada. The voluntary recall, issued Monday, affects all packages of Hearts Delight sold in the U.S. and Canada with a "best if used by" date of Sept. 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B," the company said.Last...

• Ketek Significantly Increases Risk of Liver Disease

  Joe Saunders | September 13, 2007 5:43 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Ketek, an antibiotic used for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, acute bacterial sinusitis, tonsillitis, or pharyngitis, has been shown to cause severe liver injury. Health Canada, in its September 2007 edition, has documented the risk of liver damage for users of the drug. The FDA should recall Ketek as a dangerous drug. Its risks significantly outweigh its...

• Another Toy Recall

  Joe Saunders | September 07, 2007 11:03 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  As the holiday shopping season fast approaches, consumers are increasingly spooked by the happenings in the toy industry. This week marks the third major toy recall this summer. The latest toy recall involves Mattell and lead paint. The company has announced that it will recall 775,000 toys manufactured in China. The majority of the toys involve Mattel's Barbie brand, Barbie Dream Puppy...

• Florida Jury Awards $28.5 Million in Misfilled Prescription Lawsuit Against Walgreens

  Joe Saunders | August 21, 2007 12:09 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  A jury in Bartow Florida awarded the family of a cancer patient $28.5 million who was given the wrong prescription, suffered a stroke, and subsequently died. According to the Associated Press article, "Beth Hippely was prescribed Warfarin, a blood thinner, in 2002 to treat breast cancer. The prescription filled at a Walgreens pharmacy was 10 times what her doctor prescribed, court documents...