Drug Woes Don't Worry Americans

Most Americans say they're at least somewhat confident about the safety of prescription drugs sold in the United States, according to an Associated Press poll taken at a time when several popular medications have been linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The Food and Drug Administration the federal agency responsible for ensuring drug safety, has come under intense scrutiny recently because of health risks linked to use of Vioxx, which was withdrawn from the market; Celebrex, and now Aleve, which is sold over-the-counter.

Just over eight in 10 said they have confidence in the general safety of prescription drugs in this country, the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs found. Almost that many said they have confidence in the FDA.

But many of those people admit they have some worries.

Only about a third said they were "very confident" about the safety of prescription drugs in the United States and half said they were "somewhat confident."

Retiree Gabrielle Purvis says the barrage of news about possible drug problems is dizzying.

"You get so much instant information," said Purvis, who lives in Lottsburg, Va., near the Chesapeake Bay. "It's crazy. We end up with too much information that hasn't been properly analyzed."

The poll was taken after questions were raised last week about Celebrex, made by Pfizer Inc., and more than two months after Vioxx, made by Merck & Co., Inc., was withdrawn from the market. But the poll was taken before a study raised a possible heart attack-stroke link with naproxen, which is sold by Bayer AG over the counter as Aleve.

About a fourth in the poll said they were "very confident" in the FDA's ability to ensure the safety of prescription drugs, with about half saying they were "somewhat confident."

Consumers of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications have been hit by reports of a steady stream of high-profile problems.

The popular arthritis drug Vioxx was pulled from the shelves by Merck on Sept. 30 because of evidence it increased the risk of heart attack and strokes.

Late last week, another popular pain reliever, Celebrex, was found to increase the risk of heart attack when taken in high doses. The manufacturer Pfizer has suspended advertising, but the pain reliever is still on the market.

Officials at the National Institutes of Health on Monday halted a study of naproxen, an over-the-counter pain reliever commonly sold under the brand name Aleve, because of possible links to heart attacks and strokes.

These reports — and questions about other prescription drugs in recent years — have led critics of the FDA to claim the agency approves drugs too quickly, doesn't follow up effectively on possible health effects and is too close to the drug companies.

In another high profile case, the FDA was criticized for not acting quickly enough to issue warnings that anti-depressant use by children could increase suicidal thoughts and behavior.

White House chief of staff Andy Card defended the FDA last weekend, saying it does "a spectacular job."

But some people say they've grown suspicious of the drug approval process.

"Corporate people are cutting corners for the profit," said Mike Powell, a manufacturing engineer from Houston.

Many Americans have a strong personal interest in prescription drug safety, given that three-fourths of those polled said they had taken a prescription drug in the last year.

Of those prescription drug users, just over six in 10 said they have talked with a doctor about possible side effects of a new prescription drug. Men were more likely than women to have discussed possible side effects with their doctors.

Sean Malroy, a 34-year-old composer from Los Angeles, said he asks the doctor for more information about prescriptions, but often doesn't read the accompanying pamphlets "unless I have further questions."

Most in the poll, 85 percent, said they read at least some of the information in the drug pamphlets. Women were more likely than men to read those pamphlets.

"I'm a chemist so I'm curious about this stuff," said retiree Lynn TenKate of the Chicago suburbs. "You have to take responsibility for knowing, because it's your body."

Only one in six people who took prescription drugs of any kind in the last year, 14 percent, said they have asked their doctor or pharmacist to re-examine the drugs they were taking since Vioxx was taken off the market in late September and other drugs have been questioned.

Among those who used Vioxx, Celebrex or Bextra — all painkillers known as cox-2 inhibitors — a third have asked their doctor or pharmacist to reassess the prescription drugs they are taking.

While the FDA opposes importation of drugs because of safety concerns, two-thirds of Americans favor allowing importation of such drugs "from Canada and other countries," because those drugs are often less expensive.

The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on attitudes about 
prescription drugs and drug safety is based on telephone 
interviews with 1,002 randomly selected adults from 
the United States and 773 who have taken prescription 
drugs in the past year. The interviews were conducted 
Dec. 17-19 by Ipsos-Public Affairs.
1. Overall, how confident are you in the safety of 
prescription drugs sold in the United States? Would you 
say you are very confident, somewhat confident, not too 
confident, or not at all confident?
Very confident, 36 percent
Somewhat confident, 48 percent
Not too confident, 10 percent
Not at all confident, 5 percent
Not sure, 1 percent
2. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is 
responsible for ensuring the safety of prescription 
drugs in the United States. How confident are you in 
the ability of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
to ensure the safety of prescription drugs sold in the 
United States? Would you say you are very confident, 
somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all 
confident?
Very confident, 27 percent
Somewhat confident, 50 percent
Not too confident, 16 percent
Not at all confident, 7 percent
3. At any time in the past year, did you take any 
drugs that were prescribed for you by a doctor, or not?
Yes, 74 percent
No, 26 percent
Questions 4-8 asked only of those who have taken 
prescription drugs in the past year: 
4. Thinking of the most recent time you started 
taking a prescription drug that you hadn't taken before, 
did you and your doctor discuss the risks or side effects 
of the drug, or not?
Yes, 62 percent
No, 36 percent
Not sure, 2 percent
5. And did you and your pharmacist discuss the 
risks or side effects of the drug, or not?
Yes, 46 percent
No, 54 percent
Not sure, 1 percent
6. And did you read any information pamphlets 
that came with the drug, or not?
Yes, 85 percent
No, 14 percent
Not sure, 1 percent
7. As you may know, the painkiller Vioxx was 
recently withdrawn from the market because it was 
associated with an increased risk of heart attack and 
stroke, and questions have been raised about other drugs 
on the market. Since these steps were taken, have you 
asked a doctor or pharmacist to reassess the drugs being 
prescribed to you or not?
Yes, 14 percent
No, 86 percent
8. Please tell me whether you have used any of the 
following prescription painkillers at any time in the past 
year?
Celebrex: Yes, 11 percent; No, 89 percent.
Bextra: Yes, 5 percent; No, 95 percent
Vioxx: Yes, 10 percent; 90 percent
Asked of all adults, with results from a February poll 
in parenthases:
9. Some want the federal government to make it 
easier for people to buy prescription drugs from Canada 
or other countries at low cost. Others oppose that, 
arguing that the safety of prescription drugs cannot 
be assured. Do you favor or oppose making it easier for 
people to buy prescription drugs from other countries?
Favor, 68 percent (65)
Oppose, 27 percent (32)
Not sure, 5 percent (3)