This week, web-giant Google launched its new Google Health feature. Google Health is an internet-based program for holding personal medical records. Right now, it offers four options—create Google Health profile, import medical records, explore online health services, and find a doctor. Those who support this new tool (such as several pharmacies and clinics) say that Google Health can help doctors avoid prescribing drugs that interfere with other medicines a patient may have taken and forgotten to mention. It can also link patients with similar medical problems together in support groups. Opponents maintain that the risk of hacking (and the subsequent release of confidential files) outweighs the benefits. For now, the professional advice for using Google Health appears to be “user beware.”

A drug company in Columbia has agreed to stop manufacturing prescription cough and prescription cold products due to repeatedly failing to have federal approval or pass inspections.

The Chief Executive Officer of Scientific Laboratories Inc., Amit Roy, along with President Rajeshwari Patel, signed a consent decree. The signing process took place earlier this month in a U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sought to sanction the company because they have never received approval for their products. Scientific Laboratories Inc. has been making prescription drug products for other pharmaceutical companies. After the drugs were made, other companies could sell them under their own labels.

Under the consent decree that was signed, Scientific Laboratories is required to recall all products that it has sold since January 1, 2007. The company will require FDA approval before they will be allowed to manufacture any form of medication – prescription or over-the-counter.

Defective drug attorneys are working on cases in which people have suffered from serious illness as a result of negligence.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is discussing legislation that could possibly change the way that pharmaceutical companies will be allowed to advertise prescription drugs.

According to the legislation, the FDA would require that all pharmaceutical companies include a toll-free number in their advertisements that would allow patients to report adverse side effects to the medication.

Certain lawmakers believe that the heavy amount of advertising being done by pharmaceutical companies is encouraging the over-prescribing of medication by doctors.

Last fall, the FDA passed legislation that requires all print advertisements to have a toll-free number included.

Defective drug attorneys are working on cases in which serious adverse side effects have resulted due to negligence on the part of medical staff or pharmaceutical companies.