An essay published by the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the New England Journal of Medicine is arguing that current drug labeling doesn’t adequately allow consumers to effectively compare two drugs used for the same indication. For example, how would a consumer know whether a new drug is better than one that’s been on the market for years? Currently, the FDA doesn’t require pharmaceutical companies to include statements about how their new products compare with existing treatments. All they are required to do is to show that it performs better than placebo – without harmful side effects. Now, imagine picking up a drug with the following label: “Although this drug has been shown to lower blood pressure more effectively than placebo, it has not been shown to be more effective than other members of the same drug class.” After reading this would you prefer to buy this newer (and likely more expensive) brand-name drug or would you opt for the tried and true generic? The authors argue that this type of labeling can curb the appetite of consumers – and doctors – in always wanting the newest medications, which contributes tremendously to our ever-growing health care costs. [via Medical News Today]
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.