Iowa PIRG : Help make our medicines safe
By Meshawn Ayala, Iowa PIRG Citizen Outreach Director
Recent headlines have questioned the safety of GlaxoSmithKline's blockbuster diabetes drug, Avandia, which may raise the risk of heart attacks by 43%. Unfortunately, this is not the first time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved dangerous and deadly prescription drugs. Vioxx, Paxil, and Ketek are other examples.
USA Today recently stated, "The FDA's drug safety procedures cry out for overhaul."
The good news is the House will consider drug safety legislation this week that will reform the FDA and refocus the Agency on its original mission of ensuring that Americans receive safe medicines.
You can help by taking action now! Just click on the link or paste it into your browser
Then, ask your friends and family to help too by forwarding this e-mail to them.
Background
After the Senate passed a watered-down prescription drug safety bill in May, we learned that the FDA-approved diabetes drug, Avandia, may raise patients' heart attack risk by 43%.
For more information see this USA Today article
Avanida, taken by seven million patients, has been on the market for eight years, yet we are just now learning about its safety problems. Drug makers are supposed to do post-market safety studies but they routinely fail to do them and the FDA does nothing.
The Avandia story is all too familiar. When Merck, the makers of the arthritis drug Vioxx, first learned that their drug could cause serious health problems including heart attack and stroke, they could have told doctors and their patients. They didn't. When GlaxoSmithKline, makers of the antidepressant Paxil, learned that it was linked to an increased risk of suicidal behavior in children, they could have sounded the alarm. They didn't.
These companies had the opportunity to do the right thing by giving doctors and patients the information they needed to make safe and informed medical decisions. They consciously chose not to tell the public the whole truth.
The problem is clear and there is bi-partisan agreement in Washington that something needs to be done. The pharmaceutical industry can't, and has proven that it won't, police itself. Lawmakers must reform the Food and Drug Administration so that it focuses on its original mission of ensuring that our medicines are safe.
The House is considering drug safety legislation this week and must take action to reform and refocus the FDA on its original mission of ensuring that American consumers receive safe medicines.
The House bill should require that more FDA resources be allocated towards drug safety. The majority--as much as 90%--of the FDA's budget for drug evaluation and research is spent on expediting the approval of new drugs. This is a short-sighted and dangerous policy.
The House bill should also require the FDA to publicly post the results of most clinical trials so researchers, doctors and patients can fully weigh the risks and benefits of various medications.
You can help by taking action now! Just click on the link below or paste it into your browser:
https://www.uspirg.org/action/health-care/safe?id4=ES
Then, ask your friends and family to help too by forwarding this e-mail to them.
Sincerely,
Meshawn Ayala
Iowa PIRG Citizen Outreach Director
MeshawnA@iowapirg.org
http://www.IowaPIRG.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
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Tuesday, June 19
Iowa PIRG : Help make our medicines safe
by
Sam Garchik
on Tue 19 Jun 2007 03:16 PM CDT
Thursday, June 7
The Progressive Iowa Network Organizing Summit
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 07 Jun 2007 01:20 PM CDT
The Progressive Iowa Network
Organizing Summit Saturday, June 9, 2007 Iowa City Public Library Agenda: 1. Welcome 2. Introductions 3. Why a Progressive Network is important for Iowa 4. Democracy for America – Support for Iowa’s Progressive Network 5. 2007 Iowa Legislative Review (Legislators) 6. Overview of Top Progressive Legislative Priorities (Progressive Activists) 7. Envisioning Progressive Power in Iowa (Ed Fallon & Denise O'Brien) 8. Break 9. Top Progressive Legislative Issues - Workshops VOICE (Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections) CAFO/Farm Bill Health Care Media Reform Fair Share 10. Lunch 11. Workshop Reports 12. Progressive Iowa Network – Next Steps 13. Democracy for Iowa – Administrative overview 14. Adjournment Please note: If you are interested in discussing potential state-wide initiatives that will pressure our Congress to end the war in Iraq, please come to this event. Peace groups can strategize during the workshop hour (#9) and also report back to the larger group after lunch. This will be an excellent opportunity for all of us to be united for peace. We will start gathering at 9am - coffee and bagels / breakfast treats. The summit will begin promptly at 9:30am. Please let us know if you intend to come: Please RSVP: http://www.dfalink.com/event Monday, June 4
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) - Update
by
Caroline Vernon
on Mon 04 Jun 2007 09:30 AM CDT
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) - Update
By Caroline Vernon This Saturday, June 9th, progressive leaders, legislators and activists from various organizations across Iowa will come together for the first DFA-Iowa Networking Summit. We will be gathering at the Iowa City Public Library from 9am to 3pm (the last hour will be devoted to DFA-IA administrative business). Some of our great leaders who will be in attendance include Charlie Chamberlain from Democracy for America, Ed Fallon, Denise O’Brien, and Senator Joe Bolkcom, just to name a few… Once again, the purpose of this gathering is to establish a Progressive Iowa Network which will serve to better unite progressives across the state in order to support each others efforts around important issues, particularly if we hope to be more effective moving into the next legislative session. Besides providing an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow progressives, one direct benefit of an Iowa Network would be the enhanced ability to articulate our progressive world view by creating a state-wide echo chamber that will carry our unified message to all Iowans. As previously indicated, we have identified 5 issues in Iowa that require urgent action: 1. VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections) 2. CAFO regulations / Farm Bill 3. Fair Share 4. Healthcare 5. Media Also, due to the recent vote on the Iraq supplemental bill, it is our hope that peace activists from across Iowa will take advantage of this opportunity to come together to discuss potential state wide initiatives that will effectively pressure those in Congress who voted for the bill. In addition to addressing the above issues, we are tracking organizations by their particular area(s) of focus. This list has also evolved since my last blog: 1. Policy / Research 2. Lobbying 3. Media & Blogs 4. Grassroots Organizing These 4 areas have been added: 5. Direct Action 6. Education 7. Funding (to identify potential sources of funding) 8. Political Campaigns (organizations who can be involved with campaigns) We are working on compiling a comprehensive list of all participating organizations, including contact information, primary areas of focus and primary issues of concern. If you or your organization will be attending the summit, we ask that you submit your information using the example below (4 stars = primary focus) Example: Organization: Progressive Action for the Common Good Address: 3707 Eastern Ave, Davenport, IA 52807 Contact Information: (name/position/phone/email): Caroline Vernon, Organizer, 563-676-7580, carolina1961@gmail.com. James Lee, Executive Director, 563-650-3922, jlee6367@yahoo.com Areas of Focus Rating Issues Rating Policy/Research VOICE **** Lobbying ** CAFO/Farm Bill *** Media/Blogs Media ** Grassroots Organizing **** Fair Share ** Direct Action *** Healthcare *** Education ** Funding * Other: _Peace _ **** Poltical Campaigns Please send the above information to carolina1961@gmail.com by Thursday, June 7th so we can be sure to include your information in the hand-out. It is important to note that we encourage ALL progressive organizations to attend this meeting and become part of the network even if we may not be focusing on your specific issues at this time. The goal of the network is to create a framework designed to support all progressive initiatives. We need everyone’s participation in order to succeed. If you have any questions, please call Caroline Vernon at 563-676-7580. Hope to see you Saturday! |
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