[net.women] Cdn awarded $800,000 for stroke from Pill

peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley) (04/20/84)

Today, a Canadian court awarded $800,000 to a Toronto woman who claimed that
she should have been warned by the maker of her oral contraceptive that it
could result in a stroke, such as she had.  The judgement held that there
was substantive evidence linking The Pill and stroke and that this should
have been indicated on the product's packaging and in literature provided
by the co. (Ortho Pharmaceutical) to doctors.  Ortho might appeal the
decision.

This is the largest such settlement in a Canadian court.  It certainly gives
one pause when thinking about taking any drug, but particularly one which has
such a profound effect on the body as oral contraceptives do.  It also makes
me mad that a company has to be taken to court to do the right thing;  those
who decry government regulation should consider this.

p. rowley, U. Toronto

saquigley@watmath.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (04/20/84)

I'd like to add the following piece of information: the specific
contraceptive she was using was from an american company.  In the
states warnings were issued along with the contraceptive, but the
same warnings did not accompany the contraceptives in Canada.

Sophie Quigley
...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax,allegra}!watmath!saquigley

cjh@gummo.UUCP (Carl J. Hoffmann) (04/23/84)

<>
It is indeed sad that the woman got a stroke because she took the Pill.
I don't think, however that it should have been the pharmaceutical compay's fault.
Unless these drugs are available over the counter in Canada, the responsibility
to warn of the hazards should be with the doctor who gave the prescription.
He would be in the best position to understand what a particulr drug would
do to/for his patient.  If he doesn't know, then he shouldn't prescribe it.

Just adding my two cents.
Carl Hoffmann
harpo!gummo!cjh

The comments above are mute if the pharmaceutical compay didn't tell anybody
about the side effects.