You may remember last year I posted information about a direct attempt by Wyeth, the maker of synthetic hormone replacements, to make the compounding and formulating of bio-identical hormones illegal.
Not only would this have removed from health store shelves the standard menopausal comforts, it would also have meant that your Doctor could not send to your compounding pharmacy for your personal prescription.
That attempt was foiled, but in a turn-around from its historical stand the American Medical Association is now considering a request from certain member groups to petition the FDA to declare compounded medication illegal. Wyeth has contributed some thousands of dollars to the groups within the AMA which have put forward this resolution.
The AMA has in the past defended the right of Doctors to decide what treatment to administer, and many Americans support their health using certain drugs “off-label” and compounded medications for their health that are lawful and medically appropriate, even though they are not “FDA-approved.”
If the FDA is permitted to regulate this physician discretion, while it may start with restrictions on compounding bio-identical hormones, it could lead to regulation of all medicines for off-label uses. My own use of Naltrexone for cancer would be affected.
