To the editor:
The views expressed in Peter McAllister’s disturbing Dec. 3 Commentary piece (“Lawyers open new front: warning labels”), supporting the concept of immunity for drug companies that market unsafe drugs, were completely contrary to those of the mainstream medical community.
The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine have stated unequivocally that such immunity would be disastrous for patient safety.
The Journal has argued that lawsuits are crucial, helping to bring lifesaving, and otherwise inaccessible, information about dangerous drugs to light, and deterring future misconduct by the pharmaceutical industry.
If Dr. McAllister truly cares about the health and safety of his patients, he would do well to join his mainstream colleagues in opposing legal immunity for drug companies whose products kill, injure, or maim them.
ANDY HOFFMAN
Attorney and policy analyst
Center for Justice & Democracy
New York, NY
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