A Few Links to Share...

It looks like we are not the only ones to find the research Pioneer grantees Drs. Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin did on the effectiveness of prescription drug labels interesting and innovative.  Here is a round-up of some of the coverage following the release of their paper in the NEJM this week. 

Prescription Drug Labels -- What the Companies Don't Tell

Want a quick synopsis on Schwartz and Woloshin’s paper? The Baltimore Sun’s daily column, Picture of Health, has just what you are looking for. 

 

Getting the FDA to Share What it Knows About Drugs

You can learn a bit about the pilot test conducted by Schwartz and Woloshin where FDA reviewers compile “Prescription Drug Fact Boxes” that lay out the benefits and harms of a drug in an easy-to-read table, in The Los Angeles Times health blog, Booster Shots. 

 

NEJM: Drug Labels Lack Key Info

FirecePharma wonders ‘are drug labels too optimistic?’"How can I decide if the potential harms of this drug are worth the risk?” Dr. Woloshin asks “…if I don't know how well the drug works, and vice versa?"

Information Lost Between Review and Drug Label

Finally, wondering what the manufacturers think about Woloshin and Schwartz’s article?  medpagetoday.com offers comments from Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

 

Don’t forget to read Al Shar’s prespective – you can check it out here.