Assembly Members Introduce Prescription Drug Safety Legislation
Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) and Assembly member Wilma Chan (D-Oakland) last week introduced two bills addressing prescription drug safety, Knight Ridder/Contra Costa Times reports. Frommer said the legislation is intended to address concerns about FDA oversight following recent questions about the safety of Vioxx and other prescription drugs.
One bill (AB 71) would establish the California Drug Safety Watch. CDSW would include a telephone hotline for consumers to report adverse reactions to prescription drugs. In addition, the bill would require the construction of a database of adverse reactions that would be publicly available.
The other bill (AB 72) would require pharmaceutical firms to submit to the state the results of all studies addressing the safety and efficacy of treatments marketed in California (Goldston, Knight Ridder/Contra Costa Times, 1/9).