Prescription Drugs Resources

DRUG RECALLS AND SAFETY

Complete Guide to Prescription and Non-prescription Drugs
H. Winter Griffith, Stephen Moore
ISBN: 0399532080
Reviews: “Comprehensive, easy-to-use, and informative” (Los Angeles Times). “Outstanding reference source” (American Library Association). “One of the simplest and most thorough guides ever put together on the subject” (United Press International).

FamilyDoctor.org
This website is operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a national medical organizations representing more than 93,700 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students. It offers a wide variety of information on disease, prescriptions and OTC drugs, supplements, treatments, education and resources.

FDA Index to Drug-specific information and Safety Alerts
www.fda.gov/cder/drug/DrugSafety/DrugIndex.htm

FDA Consumer Education Information
www.fda.gov/cder/drug/DrugSafety/drugSafetyConsumer.htm

Mayo Clinic — Complete Index for Prescription and Over the Counter Drugs, Vitamins, Supplements, Herbs and Drug Watch Archive
www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DrugHerbIndex

Medwatch
www.fda.gov/medwatch
Internet gateway for timely safety information on drugs and other medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

MedlinePlus
www.rxlist.com
RxList: The Internet Drug Index is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

PDR® Family Guide to Prescription Drugs
www.pdrhealth.com
Information on disease, drugs, treatment and clinical trials.

Public Citizen
www.worstpills.org
An unbiased non-profit organization that fights for openness and
democratic accountability in government, for the right of consumers to seek redress in the courts; for clean, safe and sustainable energy sources; for social and economic justice in trade policies; for strong health, safety and environmental protections; and for safe, effective and affordable prescription drugs and health care.

The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs 2006: Everything You Need to Know for Safe Drug Use
James J. Rybacki
ISBN: 0060820519
Amazon Review: One of the most accessible books for reading and understanding the basic and most common prescription drugs as well as their side effects and interactions with other medications and herbal remedies.

Worst Pills, Best Pills: A Consumer’s Guide to Avoiding Drug-Induced Death or Illness
Sidney M. Wolfe, Larry D. Sasich and Peter Lurie
ISBN: 0743492560
Amazon Review: While this book comes across as a bit alarmist, it is a welcome alternative to other books on drugs, which are compilations of information provided by drug companies. The most useful feature of this book is the alternative treatments for each drug. These alternative treatments are much lower risk than the drugs they potentially replace.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

The $800 Million Pill: The Truth behind the Cost of New Drugs
Merrill Goozner
ISBN: 0520239458
Book Description: In this gripping exposé, Merrill Goozner contends that American taxpayers are in fact footing the bill twice: once by
supporting government-funded research and again by paying astronomically high prices for prescription drugs. Goozner demonstrates that almost all the important new drugs of the past quarter-century actually originated from research at taxpayer-funded universities and at the National Institutes of Health. He reports that once the innovative work is over, the pharmaceutical industry often steps in to reap the profit.

Inside the FDA: The Business and Politics Behind the Drugs We Take and the Food We Eat
Fran Hawthorne
ISBN: 0471610917
Book Description: In a time when companies continue to accuse the FDA of nitpicking and needlessly delaying needed new drugs, and consumers are convinced that the agency bends to industry pressure by rushing unsafe drugs to market, Inside the FDA digs deep to reveal the truth.

Fight for Your Health: Exposing the FDA’s Betrayal of America
Byron J. Richards
ISBN: 1933927178
Amazon Review: If you ever had any doubts about taking charge of your own health — this book will confirm that it is a must do! Chock full of information regarding prescription medicine, this book lets you know how you are probably being poisoned and how your physician is allowing it.

Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications
Peter R. Breggin, David Cohen
ISBN: 0738203483
Amazon Review: Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than 20 million Americans. This book aims to convince us to stop taking these drugs, and to show us how to do it safely. The authors contend that after 15 minutes with a physician or psychiatrist, Americans are prescribed medications that we may take for years or a lifetime, which can do more harm than good.

 

ARTICLES AND LINKS

“End of Drug Trial Is a Big Loss for Pfizer”
Alex Berenson
New York Times Health Section (December 4, 2006)

“Risks of Drug-Coated Stents Divide Federal Review Panel”
Barnaby J. Feder
New York Times Health Section (December 8, 2006)

“Many Prescription Drugs Have Unexpected Harmful Effects”
Maryann Napoli
Healthfacts (May 2002)

“David J. Graham, MD, MPH, Senate Testimony”
ConsumersUnion.Org (November 18, 2004)
Non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports

“Death by Medicine”
Gary Null, Ph.D. et al.
Life Extension (www.lef.org)
This stinging article cites many sources and studies and concludes that conventional medicine is the number one killer in America.

“11 Prescription Drugs to Be Avoided by the Elderly”
Healthfacts (July 2005)

“Drugs and the Elderly”
www.healthsquare.com/fgpd/fg4ch23p4.htm
Originally from the Physician’s Desk Reference Family Guide to Prescription Drugs.

“Prescription for Trouble”
Sandy Fertman Ryan
Girls’ Life (October-November 2005)
An article on Ritalin — and other drugs — abuse by kids to lose weight, pull all-nighters, etc.

“Use of Prescription Drugs During Pregnancy”
Karl E. Miller
American Family Physician (June 1, 2005)

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