FDA faulted over unapproved uses of medications

[actsnoblemartin]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080727/ap_on_go_co/fda_off_label_drugs

WASHINGTON - When a state trooper pulls over a speeding motorist, the officer usually writes out a ticket on the spot.

When federal regulators catch a drug company peddling prescription medications for an unapproved use, it takes them an average of seven months to issue a warning, according to a draft report by congressional investigators. It typically takes four more months for the company to fix the problem. During that time, a lot prescriptions can be written.

[5stringJeff]

Frankly, drug companies should be able to market their medicines as long as they are deemed to be safe - i.e. not killing people or making them sick. If a medicine is "approved" for one use, but found to be safe for other uses, the company should be able to market it in that way without asking "Mother, May I?"