This is one of the biggest pieces of misinformation disseminated by Big Pharma to protect their already-inflated profit margins.  The politicians who parrot this popular talking point on their behalf are flat wrong — and, we feel, morally suspect.

The fact of the matter is that medical and pharma lawsuits have an absolutely minimal effect on the nation’s health care costs.

Dr. Marty Makary, an associate professor of surgery and health policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said “the notion that frivolous claims are routinely resulting in $100 million payouts is not true.” Tort reform, which many politicians ask for, would have a marginal impact on health-care costs, and ultimately only serve to further insulate the massive pharma companies from accepting responsibility for the injuries caused by some of their medications.  In fact, when it comes to malpractice lawsuits, study after study show that their costs only make up around 1% of the nation’s $2.6 trillion health-care bill.

Other studies show that a very small percentage of the victims of medical side effects, from prescription drugs and medical devices, decide to sue. Why? Well, for many it’s because of a misunderstanding. Even though a prescription drug like Yaz may have ruined their life, they choose not to sue because they like their doctor and don’t want them getting in trouble.

What the victims don’t realize is that lawsuits for prescription and medical device side effects don’t hurt the doctor. Doctors are protected by something called “informed consent.” These types of lawsuits only go after Big Pharma, and in most cases, these companies pre-bill for the anticipated settlements by charging Americans outrages prices for their medications. 

Big Pharma is getting rich off of drugs that they know can seriously hurt people. In an effort to profit, these companies will downplay the risk of side effects, or even hide the risks altogether.  This is why they prefer to settle such cases out of court.  Innocent people are dying at the hands of Big Pharma, and that is why many Americans are fighting back.

The victims of Yaz, Lipitor, Ocella, transvaginal mesh, Granuflo, and many other drugs have taken the fight to court. Using the power of mass tort lawsuits, these Americans have found a no-risk way to defend themselves. The attorneys they hire only get paid if a case is won, and even then the attorneys only take a small cut.

If you’ve suffered prescription side effect and want to see a list of on-going lawsuits, click here!

The post The Biggest Medical Myth appeared first on Citizens Report.

A number of studies have linked Lipitor (known generically as atorvastatin) and other cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to a small increase in users’ risk of diabetes.

This latest study, based on data from three large clinical trials, strengthens evidence of a connection.

But it also suggests that the risk may largely exist among people who also have the well-known risk factors for type 2 diabetes — including excess weight, high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and high blood pressure.

Those four factors appear “very good at distinguishing people at high or low risk for developing new-onset diabetes with atorvastatin,” lead researcher Dr. David D. Waters, of the University of California at San Francisco, told Reuters Health in an email.

If you are a woman who was were diagnosed with Diabetes while taking Lipitor, click here!

Read more of the article.

Click here to learn more about the diabetes and other side effects of Lipitor, as well as the lawsuit settlements victims receive for their injuries.

Lipitor and 4 other dangerous medications in your medicine cabinet.

To learn about other drug side effects, their subsequent lawsuits and settlements, as well as other personal injury cases, CLICK HERE.

The post A cholesterol drug that comes with a side order of Diabetes appeared first on Citizens Report.