May 22, 2007
Antiemetic suppositories deemed ineffective
The FDA is on a tear. They have apparently decided that there is no evidence for the effectiveness of trimethobenzamide suppositories. We have been using it for decades. Two million prescriptions a year are written for it. Before 1962, drugs only had to be proven safe, not effective.
How much money has been wasted? (At $3 a pop, maybe $60 million a year.)
How many more will get the knife?
How many that are "proven effective" really do not produce meaningful improvement in a patient's health?
Posted by Robert Maddox at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2007
Epidural for Back pain
JAMA april 25 had a perspective on epidural steroid injections for back pain. Out of about $90 Billion spent on back pain, nearly $50 million is spent on these injections, for which little evidence can be found. There was improvement between 2 to 6 weeks, but not much at first or long-term. So it is not useless.
The big question is, how is the other $90 Billion spent and is there any evidence for it?
Posted by Robert Maddox at 12:35 AM | Comments (1)