[tadd]

Tdw:
My point was that to call something a medicine, it has to show efficacy greater than its ability to harm.

I would greatly question how knowledgeable your physician actually is w/respect to drugs. Case in point... the big pain killer given to older folks is tramadol since it is opioid like in strength, but has less side effect issues than true opioids. The other common drug given is Prozac. Well lo and behold, Prozac inhibits tramadol. So the Dr prescribing this isn't actually treating the patients pain. This is really common, and the word just isn't out there. Its not that the Drs don't care, you just cant know everything. So...your Dr may not be the best to actually advise you.

That remains to be seen with a true sample size yet.... let alone unknown issues that only appear in huge sample sizes...which was the point of the VIOXX reference.

Again, if you are dying, give it a shot and that is the approval the FDA has given.

Mylen (a generic manufacturer in WVa) has spooled up to make chloroquine. So at least there will be enough so the proven diseases (lupus) it is used for those patients will get theirs.

The real issue is what will the lawyers do once this is all over. Hopefully there is some anti tort thing in the emergency powers act.