Statement to NBC Feb 3, 2005, when asked:

Should Rimadyl be taken off the market?

"There are no safe drugs. There are only safe doctors.

The large number of adverse side effects from this class of drugs (NSAIDS ) stems from the fact that they are new to the market and very few veterinarians know how to use them safely.

In a review of the adverse events reported on Deramaxx, and I believe this would apply to the other drugs as well:

 

Fifty-nine percent of the adverse side effects came from over-dosages.

Seventy—five percent of the perforated ulcers came from use of incompatible drug combinations.

Pre-existing disease where the drug is contraindicated was present in thirty-eight percent of Adverse Drug Events."

Why are Veterinarians making all these mistakes?

"Veterinarians are unaware of how to safely use these drugs because of the way drug companies have marketed their drugs and the way veterinarians obtain their continuing education.

Any of these new arthritis medications can kill your dog. Rimadyl seems to have a much higher incidence of reported idiosyncratic liver toxicity than the other arthritis drugs. The drug company says this is because Rimadyl has a larger share of the market. Even though this liver toxicity is only 2% of the 12,500 adverse side effects and 2 thousand deaths reported, I WOULD NOT GIVE RIMADYL TO MY DOG.

Representatives from each drug company have called on me. They all showed data to demonstrate the fact that their drug is safer than the other drugs. None of the data is credible because it never compares oranges to oranges or apples to apples. They never mentioned a word about how to use the drugs safely.

A paid employee of a drug company comes to town and buys dinner for veterinarians in the best restaurant in town and they give a seminar approved by the State Board for Continuing education credit. It amounts to nothing but a sales pitch. They mention nothing about side effects. This is not in the best interest of our patients, nor is it in the best interest of our profession. I prefer to get my CE from a professor at a Veterinary School. It seems the doctrine has clearly switched from “Above all, do no harm” to “Make more money.”

I am asking my state Senator to introduce legislation to prohibit CE credit for a seminar where there is such a conflict of interest.

Dr. DeBakey the famous heart surgeon, in a letter to the editor of the Houston Chronicle summed it up by saying, “The best outcome for our patients depends on decisions made based on evidence based medicine, not on the best sales pitch.”

Dr Bob Rogers