Pain News Network
By Pat Anson, Editor
December 03, 2015
An Arizona drug maker that developed a powerful painkiller for cancer patients falsified records so the drug would be prescribed to non-cancer pain patients, possibly resulting in hundreds of overdose deaths, according to a new report by the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation.
Subsys has FDA approval for breakthrough cancer pain, but Insys Therapeutics allegedly misled insurers into paying for the drug and encouraged off-label prescribing for patients suffering from conditions such as joint pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Subsys is a fentanyl based spray-on painkiller, said to be 100 times stronger than morphine.
The new report, headlined “Murder Incorporated,” adds to the growing body of evidence and critical media reports about the aggressive business tactics of Insys Therapeutics. Last month CNBC accused the company of “putting profits before patients as it makes millions off your pain.”
read more here
And then we have this piece of news from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?
Fentanyl may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
vomitingSome side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING or SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS section, call your doctor immediately:
nausea
itching
drowsiness
pain on the right side of your stomach
dry mouth
decreased appetite
headache
uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
anxiety
loss of appetite
back pain
itching
cough
increased sweating
heartbeat that is slower or faster than normal
hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
