The Pros And Cons Of Banning Phenergan

The medical field is filled with research and new or improved experimental treatments which require FDA approval for public consumption. Despite FDA approval these drugs are still not completely safe and therefore come with a variety of warnings and side effects. A question of fault sometimes arises when a user experiences a complication. That was precisely what happened with an injectable form of a drug called Phenergan. The Phenergan label advised extreme caution and provided a clear warning of what could happen if an artery was hit during injection. Nonetheless, it also permitted intravenous injection, an action that severely increased the risk of potentially hitting an artery.
Allowing intravenous injection even with the increased risks
Though banning Phenergan would not be the best solution because it can be dangerous with many side effects but it can also be extremely useful. Also Phenergan is not as dangerous as it is believed to be, because it’s injectable form produced by Wyeth has been FDA approved since August 20, 1956. If Phenergan was unreasonably hazardous it would have been banned long ago. Moreover, banning Phenergan would set a precedent potentially leading to a slippery slope in which any drug considered to have a dangerous nature could be banned. This would be extremely hurtful for medical research and advancements, discouraging researchers and causing a delay in the discovery of new cures and treatments. For more on Phenergan’s usage and side effects see Phenergan Uses, Dosage & Side
That claim by Wyeth was a convenient excuse and not a valid argument. As the Vermont Supreme Court indicated the FDA simply sets the basic requirements, leaving any additional requirements at the discretion of the state. For more on the trial and ruling in the case of Wyeth v. Levine see Wyeth v. Levine. Furthermore, the FDA’s authorization cannot be seen as completely reliable and as the basis for what is acceptable. The FDA is not completely reliant on government funding, it receives a considerable amount of money from companies in user fees. The money received form companies can make the FDA less objective and less trustworthy. Likewise there are instances in which the FDA failed to regulate or remove drugs in a timely manner. Not only that but it also approved drugs that should not have been approved. For more on concerns with the FDA see FDA Fails to Protect Americans from Dangerous Drugs and Unsafe