Myrl Jeffcoat myrlj@jps.net

Thanks to Carolyn for sending this our way. . .Myrl

The Health Section may come on anytime from 7 to 9 -- seems like I have seen it around 7:30 -7:45, usually --but don't think there is a SET time that it has to be on...

Should be interesting!!

Carolyn

Good Morning America to Feature Public Citizen’s Dr. Sidney Wolfe

----- Original Message -----

From: Questionable Doctors Health Update

To: HEALTHUPDATE@LISTSERVER.CITIZEN.ORG

Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:47 AM

Subject: [HEALTHUPDATE] Good Morning America to Feature Public Citizen’s Dr. Sidney Wolfe

This is an automated email sent by Public Citizen's Questionable Doctors Online. Please do not click on "REPLY" to this email.

Tune in to ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday morning to see Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, talking about Public Citizen's new book, "Worst Pills, Best Pills," which provides comprehensive information about 538 prescription drugs and warns of 181 drugs that are unsafe or ineffective.

The book is particularly valuable because Dr. Wolfe has a strong track record of identifying dangerous drugs well before federal regulators take action to ban or put warnings on these drugs. For example, in April 2001, Dr. Wolfe warned consumers not to take Vioxx because it increases the risk of heart attack. But it wasn't until last fall that Merck pulled the drug from shelves, citing its increased heart attack risk.

Vioxx was the ninth prescription drug to be taken off the market in the past seven years that Public Citizen had previously warned consumers not to use. For four of the drugs - Vioxx, Baycol, Rezulin and Serzone - Public Citizen issued warnings more than two years before their removal from the market. Similarly, Public Citizen warned patients not to use Celebrex three and a half years before the government announced that a study showed it increased heart risks.

On Good Morning America, Dr. Wolfe will discuss problems with the drug approval process, explain how dangerous prescription drugs get onto the market and tell viewers why neither the government nor drug manufacturers are responsive when alerted to serious adverse effects of a drug. He will tell viewers about a Web site that accompanies the book, ( www.WorstPills.org ), which contains the contents of the book in a user-friendly, searchable database format.

Good Morning America comes on at 7 a.m. on ABC.

Public Citizen's Health Research Group

http://www.citizen.org/
http://www.worstpills.org/

Public Citizen fights for the rights of the individual citizen in the halls of power and leads the battle to strengthen public health, safety, and environmental protection. To retain our independence, Public Citizen does not accept government or corporate funds. For more information about Public Citizen, visit http://www.citizen.org.