Doctors hesitate to prescribe Ortho Evra
A group of doctors in Tennessee has decided to stop prescribing the Ortho Evra patch to patients over concerns that it could increase risk of blood clots or other problems. In a letter to their patients, the doctors cited a study which showed that women who use the Ortho Evra patch are at an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis. Concerns about the potential side effects of Ortho Evra have risen steadily in the five years since the patch came on the market. As result, the Food and Drug Administration forced Ortho-McNeil, the manufacturer of the birth control patch, to strengthen consumer warnings about the risk of Ortho Evra side effects. A "black-box" warning was added to the labeling in order to alert consumers and their doctors about the risks posed by the Ortho Evra birth control patch. Despite these warnings, at least 23 women died as a result of side effects they suffered while using the Patch, and at least 17 of these deaths were the result of blood clots. Hundreds more women have suffered blood clots, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms or strokes after using the patch.
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