The current issue of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices’ QuarterWatch report lists Yaz/Yasmin birth control pills as the drug with the second-highest number of adverse events reported in connection with lawsuits in 2011.
Quarterwatch says 8,354 Yaz/Yasmin-related cases were reported in 2011. That puts the contraceptive second only to anti-nausea drug Metoclopramide, which was the subject of 11,450 such reports.
The report says Yaz and Yasmin are two brands of a combined oral contraceptive containing the synthetic hormone drospirenone, which is associated with a higher risk of potentially deadly blood clots than other birth control pills. Drospirenone-containing contraceptives in the Yasmin line also include Ocella and Beyaz.
QuarterWatch is an independent publication of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices that monitors all serious adverse drug events reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The report notes: “Although we monitor litigation-related reports separately from our regular program, these cases reflect patients who believe they have experienced a serious drug related injury and are typically represented by lawyers who find the claims credible enough to fund the costs of litigation hoping for contingency fees if damages are recovered.”
Other medications on the list include and the number of related reports include:
- Avandia (Type 2 diabetes drug) – 4,105
- Chantix (smoking cessation aid) – 3,632
- Accutane (acne treatment) – 3,107
- All other drugs – 30,468
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries while on Beyaz or similar birth control pills.
See the report here:
https://www.ismp.org/quarterwatch/pdfs/2011Q4.pdf
