New Medicines: Issues of Approval, Access, and Product Safety (Science and Society)

Medicines unquestionably save lives and improve health and the quality of life. On rare occasions, they also kill those who take them. Sometimes, even when they are used properly, the medicines' effects are not entirely good. Drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration are regularly found to produce dangerous, and sometimes deadly, side effects. Yet many consumers do not understand why the FDA seems to drag its feet in approving new medications. Is it too much of a risk to wait years to approve a medicine that could save lives? Provides cutting-edge information, engaging data and statistics, and an objective perspective.