'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
More Americans than ever are taking generic drugs, as blockbuster medicines like Plavix and Lipitor become available in low-cost versions. But the government's revelation this week that it mistakenly approved a defective generic antidepressant could stoke longtime concerns about the quality of knockoff drugs.
Teva Pharmaceuticals has stopped shipping its generic version of a popular antidepressant after a federal analysis showed the pill does not work properly.
Two studies this week raised gnawing worries about the safety of vitamin supplements and a host of questions. Should anyone be taking them? Which ones are most risky? And if you do take them, how can you pick the safest ones?
A leading medical group says there's some evidence that probiotics, or "good" bacteria, may have limited benefits for certain illnesses in children.
"The lesson is that everyone _ from pharmacists to physicians to the FDA _ needs to take these reports seriously," said Dr. Tod Cooperman of ConsumerLab, a privately-held company that independently tests drugs and nutrition products.
