Pharmaceutical Lawsuits Are Necessary For Forcing Changes In The Prescription Drug Industry

There's a certain negative connotation regarding pharmaceutical lawsuits by those that have never been in a situation where it was appropriate to pursue such litigation. It's odd that so many would tend to fall on the side of the large pharmaceutical companies rather than on the side of the individuals who are suffering greatly as result of those companies and their products. Perhaps for many it's difficult to fully understand just how devastating the side effects of prescription drugs can be until they witness them first hand but once they do, they often recognize the need to bring attention to the problem and hold the pharmaceutical companies accountable.

Families that have given birth to a heart defect baby and learned that their child's condition was a result of Paxil use by the mother during the first trimester of the pregnancy have witnessed the aftermath of a pharmaceutical company's negligence. While today Paxil has been classified as a Category D drug (a warning which signifies a significant risk to the health of the fetus when taken by the mother), that wasn't always the case. Women who were prescribed Paxil when it was first released in 1992 were not told of the potential risks to their unborn children.

It wasn't until years later when research revealed these risks that the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings about Paxil and reclassified it as Category D. Once the FDA made this move and more studies were released indicating these risks, former Paxil patients began to file pharmaceutical lawsuits against the makers of Paxil, GlaxoSmithKline. We're all aware that there are minor risks to taking many medications but we're aware of those specific risks because we're warned of them directly. This didn't happen with Paxil patients and they have a right to legal action as a result.

Contacting an experienced Paxil attorney who is knowledgeable on the subject can really help a family understand just what rights they have regarding litigation. There will be plenty of dissenters that discourage these pharmaceutical lawsuits but they should influence whether or not you pursue legal action against the makers of Paxil. Pressure in the legal sense will force these companies to make changes in the way they conduct their business, which hopefully lessens the chances that future medications are released without proper warnings. No family should have to go through what the families of babies with Paxil birth defects are going through.