Birth Defect-Causing Acne Drug Ushers in New Era of Big Brother Medical Monitoring
Why don’t they just take the horrible thing off the market?
Well,
here’s one for the record books. Ever hear of the acne drug
called Accutane? Accutane, and the generic version called
isotretinoin, causes massive birth defects when women get pregnant while
taking the drug (or within 30 days of stopping the drug use).
Severe brain or heart defects, mental retardation and other
abnormalities come from fetal exposure to this dangerous drug.
Depression and suicidal thoughts in the user are also noted side
effects.
So, does the FDA take it off the market? No, instead, the
FDA uses this as an excuse to set up a Big Brother-type system to
monitor the personal/medical/sex lives of the people who use the drug.
According to a story in Business Week,
starting in December, all users of Accutane will be entered into a
computerized system called iPLEDGE. Doctors, drugstores and
wholesalers will have to register, too. Women will be required to
take two pregnancy tests at their doctor’s before getting a
prescription, will be required to visit the doctor monthly with another
requisite pregnancy test for each refill, and then must purchase the
medication within seven days of the test.
These
women must also sign a form promising to use TWO forms of birth
control, which the registered pharmacist must look up in the system
before filling the prescription. Oh, and the maker of Accutane,
Hoffman-La Roche, and the makers of the generics get to stick their
noses into everyone’s business, too, as they are required to closely
monitor those who sell the drug.
You know, this kind of thing is a slippery slope
leading us right into further invasions of medical privacy. Why
doesn’t the FDA just ban this dangerous drug? Because it’s the
perfect way to ease into computerized control of our medical
lives. Even the March of Dimes supports this dangerous plan.
The precident has been set. It’s the edge of the wedge, I tell ya.
Blog For Iowa 
Accutane is an optional, cosmetic drug. As long as doctors aren't mandating it for anyone, who cares what the government wants to do as far as protecting from health problems that could be related? How is this substantially different from checking someone's heart occasionally if they are on medicine that can have heart-related side effects?
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It's substantially different from checking on someone's heart occasionally because it is setting the precident of government invasion into medical/sexual privacy.
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