Wired PR News.com – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to give the toughest labeling to prescription bowel cleansing drugs. As reported by the Associated Press, the announcement was made on Thursday that prescription drugs used for pre-colonoscopy bowel cleansing, Visicol and OsmoPrep, would be given the black-box warning to caution users of serious safety risks.
As noted in the AP report, the FDA has reportedly received numerous reports of kidney failure among patients who have taken these drug products, which are manufactured by Salix Pharmaceuticals. The new warning labels will caution older individuals as well as those with kidney disease, issues with dehydration, and who may consume medications that may have an affect on the kidneys about their risks for taking these products.
The safety of over the counter bowel cleansing products has also been called into question. The FDA has cautioned against consumer use of these products as well, and have announced plans to require stricter product labels for these items.
