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.