4_29_09_Previcox_Dead_Geneva_Tim & Mihee

"Geneva"
From: Tim & Mihee J.
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 7:13 PM
Merial case #09-25490
Mel,
We were so sorry to read about Rowdy and the experience he had with Previcox and can only wish your days have been filled with nothing but fond memories of his companionship. We just wish we had come across your website before it was too late to save our beloved girl, Geneva. We are case #09-25490 from Merial Limited's long list of dogs who have died from taking their drug Previcox. We too were not told anything about it prior to us giving it to her. How we could have been so so stupid is something we will be asking our selves for many years to come. In all my life of having dogs, 10 or so including my hunting dogs, I have never once questioned my veterinarian about the drugs they prescribed for my pets and for this I am totally at fault. Should we ever decide to have another one you can rest assured I will be questioning everything before I make the decision to give it to them. Even though it came to our attention too late, your website was a great asset to us and we commend you on your efforts to get the word out about Previcox and other NSAID drugs. Now after having had a week or so to stop from crying and the total disbelief for the loss of Geneva, my wife and I are on the same crusade I believe you started in March of 2007. We are going to help get the word out and to try and change the way Veterinary care is conducted, at least here in the state of Florida. Had we found your site and/or been told of the serious side effects Previcox can and has produced, I would never in a thousand years have given it to her. Why it is not a Federal law that all medications, especially ones that have been linked to "Death", MUST have the Client Information provided and possible serious side effects EXPLAINED, is beyond me. I have spoken to the FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine about this and was told that it is up to each state to set the requirements, that they require the drug companies to do so, but can not and will not mandate the disclosure of information and that it is up to each state.
Therefore, my next step is to start contacting my state reps to get something done about this injustice here in Florida. Attached is a letter that I just today was able to finish and send to my veterinarian. None of this will ever bring our beloved companions back, but maybe yours and our efforts will prevent this from happening to another K9 family member. Additionally, I have also filed a Freedom of Information request with the FDA to find out the total number of cases that have been caused by, linked to, or suspected of causing DEATH by the drug "Previcox" from the time it was first approved by the FDA to date. I would be willing to bet is now well over the 3200 you mention on your site. Again we are so sorry for your loss and we know just how painful it must have been, as we are just now experiencing that same pain from our loss of our girl "Geneva". Please do not hesitate to contact us at anytime if you feel there is anything else you think we need to do.
Sincerely yours,
Tim and Mihee J.

Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 11:43 AM
Subject: Update for you and your readers
Dear Mel,
A lot has happened since the death of our girl "Geneva" on April 19th and I thought you and your readers would like to know what we have been doing here in Florida to help spread the word about "Previcox" and other pet drugs. First, I contacted the FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine to find out "Why" there was not a mandatory requirement for veterinarians to provide the "Client Information Sheet" (CIS) and to advise clients of the adverse effects the drug can have. The response I received clearly states that the FDA requires the drug companies to provide that information to the veterinarians, which they are doing, BUT the FDA says it can not require the veterinarians to do so and that it is each state's responsibility to make requirements on the vets in their state. So, I contacted all 50 states to see if that in fact was being done. Of the 30 responses I have received so far, NO state requires that the "Client Information Sheet" be given to the client, and only one state - Nevada - requires that the client be told of the adverse effects as they have adopted the AVMA principles of veterinary medical ethics. This is a national problem because it is apparent that state veterinarians do not provide this information even though they are receiving the information from the drug companies. Second, I wrote a letter to the members of the Florida State Board of Veterinary Medicine asking that they adopt a policy, rule, or law making it mandatory that the (CIS) be given to the client and the client be advise of the adverse effects the drug can have. The board meet in June, but could not discuss this issue at that meeting as it was not on the published agenda as required by Florida law. My request and this issue WILL BE ADDRESSED at the next meeting, which is the 1st of September and I will be attending that meeting to hear what is discussed and to address the board if necessary. Third, I contacted the largest TV station in my area to see if they would do a story about what happened to our girl "Geneva" and to help get the word out. Channel 6 TV, Orlando sent out a news reporter and camera crew and my wife and I had a 2 1/2 hour interview which will aired on the news in a couple of months. The news staff really felt that this was a very interesting consumer report/issue and felt the word needs to be spread about this. Finally, I contacted one of my State, Senators to see about having a bill introduced to make it mandatory that veterinarians of Florida be required to provide the CIS and advise clients of the adverse effects of the drugs they are prescribing. I meet with State Senator Carey Baker and he was very receptive to introducing a bill if necessary. He personally told me that he would talk to the head of the Florida State Board of Veterinary Medicine to persuade they to act on this issue, so that it does not take the long process of introducing the issue as a bill. He told me that the board has a lot of power to act on matters such as this, but if they would not, he would. So Mel, as you can see, us finding your website has helped spread the word about the unnecessary deaths of our beloved family members "Rowdy" and "Geneva" and hopefully will save the lives many others - I know it will here in Florida. To anyone who happens to contact you from your website or you are in contact with, I suggest the following: l. Write a letter to the FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine and address the issue needs to be corrected with a Federal requirement, because states are not doing what they should. 2. Write a letter to their State Board of Veterinary Medicine asking why their state has no mandatory requirement and attend the next board meeting to address this issue. 3. Contact their local news stations and newspapers about this issue - If Ch 6 Orlando felt it was important enough then I am sure other news stations around the country will too. 4. Contact their state Senators and Representatives to see about getting a bill passed making it mandatory that the veterinarians of their state provide the CIS and advise of the adverse effects. In closing let me thank you once again on your website and all that you have done to help spread the word. Nothing that any of us do today will bring back our cherished K9 friends, but the actions we take today can and will save others from going through the pain we experienced - and to my wife and I, it is worth all our efforts. Please feel free to pass on my name, email address and phone number to anyone who may want to contact me.
Sincerely,
Tim Jordan
DeLand, Florida
timjordan@cfl.rr.com
386-801-4466