Merck Vioxx News and Press Releases - News Menu

By Anita Weier
December 23, 2004

The Merck pharmaceutical company has agreed to alter and improve its consumer refund program for unused Vioxx, the popular prescription pain medication the company withdrew from markets earlier this year.

Several state attorneys general asked for changes, Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said today in a written statement. Though she was not one of the attorneys general who made the request, her office has been in contact with them and believes it is important to publicize the change, a spokesman said.

A major change is that consumers no longer have to submit unused Vioxx to get refunds. This is important because some may have already thrown the drug away on the advice of their doctors or because they did not want a potentially dangerous drug in the house.

"It is crucial that Merck's refund program for Vioxx be as flexible as possible to ensure that refunds for all unused medication are available to Wisconsin consumers," Lautenschlager said. "It is my hope that the Vioxx refund program will be able to accomplish its goal of refunding the necessary money to every eligible consumer."

Now that the holiday season is upon us, you may want to return a product for a refund or credit.

December 23 2004 - Under Florida law, every retail sales establishment offering goods for sale to the general public must post a sign at the point of sale if that store refuses cash or credit refunds or exchanges. Failure of a retail store to exhibit a "no refund" sign at that point shall mean that a refund or exchange policy exists.

However, in accordance with Florida law, if the establishment fails to post a sign at the point of sale, the right of the consumer to receive a refund is limited to merchandise returned within seven days of the date of purchase. Furthermore, the merchandise must be unused and in the original carton, if one was furnished.

Drugs spur litigation

During the past month, I have written about the Vioxx recall and the hundreds of lawsuits filed by patients who suffered heart problems, strokes, blood clots and other medical illnesses.

Recently, the National Institute of Health's National Institute on Aging stopped a research project involving the painkiller Celebrex. Apparently during the study it was determined that patients on celecoxib, which is marketed as Celebrex, had a 21/2 fold increased risk of major heart problems compared to those taking a placebo.

During the past week, lawsuits have been filed across the United States against Pfizer, the maker of Celebrex. The study also addressed the health risks of people taking the over-the-counter painkiller Aleve.

Protecting yourself

Whether you plan on hiring a vendor to work in your home or plan to purchase a product, every month I receive letters and e-mails from people who say they were ripped off. There are five things you should remember to do that will help protect you. Do not give your credit card or social security number over the telephone unless you know the company with which you are doing business.

Before you hire anyone, make sure the person or company is licensed and bonded. Call the state or the county that issued the license to make sure the license is still in good standing. Also, get a reference from someone you trust. If you plan to hire someone to perform a service, pay for it when the service is completed, not before.

If you are in a situation where you need to sign a legal document without having an attorney or someone to review it, add a sentence that states "this document is subject to the approval of my attorney." Make sure all parties put their initials at the end of the sentence that you add. Do not leave your gas or other receipts in garbage cans. Before you dispose of your receipts, rip them up so that the credit card number cannot be identified.

Mark Bogen is a lawyer based in Boca Raton. For questions, you can reach him at BOGEN2000@aol.com or write him c/o the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 333 SW 12th Ave., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.

Answer the Phone: Your Identity is on the Line

Beverly Hills, CA -- (ArriveNet - May 06, 2005) -- There hasn't been much good news in the battle against identity theft lately, with fraudsters staying one step ahead of the game. But don't panic, our old friend the telephone has come to the rescue.

We're all aware of the problem of identity theft, but did you know that your local pizza chain has had a solution for years? You recognize it as the system that prevents little Johnny from having twenty pizzas delivered to your door at midnight: the pizza chain calls you immediately after the order is placed to verify the validity of the order. Because little Johnny is afraid to be caught, he'll think twice about causing this pizza-related havoc.

TeleSign's patent-pending verification system has transferred this pizza concept to the high-tech world. It works like this: after filling out a form on a website, the user is prompted to enter his phone number. A robotic system then places a call to that number and speaks aloud a unique three digit code. Once that code is entered into the website, the authentication is complete. This system can be implemented at any point on a website: at registration, purchase, a specific time interval, or at the request of a user.

Email verification is the current standard for user authentication, but email may end up filtered, junked, bulked, or trashed. Because of spam, viruses, and phishing, email filtering has become so aggressive that even legitimate emails don't reach the inbox. But a telephone call cannot be stopped, making this the perfect time for the introduction of TeleSign’s solution.

The future of ecommerce is threatened by rampant fraud and lack of trust. TeleSign will force anonymous users to expose their faces by revealing their working phone numbers.

To try an interactive demo, visit (http://www.telesign.com/demo2/demo.asp) and have your phone ready.

For more information about TeleSign’s products and services, visit (http://www.telesign.com/demo2/) or email press2@telesign.com.

About TeleSign Corp.
TeleSign is a leader in innovative internet security solutions and provider of intelligent telephone-based verification solutions for any entity conducting business online where trust is essential and where fraud is a concern. TeleSign’s patent-pending Verification System provides a critical layer of security for the e-commerce world and is a proven deterrent against ill-intentioned web users. The company’s first product, the TeleSign Verification System, blends the latest internet, security and telephony technologies into a powerful new tool to combat fraud and enhance trust in e-business.

TeleSign Corp. seeks to provide simplified solutions for any company conducting business online where trust is essential and where fraud is a concern. TeleSign’s patent-pending Verification System provides a critical layer of security for the e-commerce world and is a proven deterrent against ill-intentioned web users. TeleSign’s Verification System is able to legitimize a web user’s claimed identification at a miniscule cost and with little inconvenience to all parties involved.

TeleSign’s Verification System is based upon the premise that ill-intentioned web users hesitate to disclose their working phone numbers. By placing a computer-generated telephone call coupled with a unique security code, we insist that a web user provide a legitimate telephone number or be rooted out. The company’s first product, the TeleSign Verification System, blends the latest internet, security and telephony technologies into a powerful new tool to combat fraud in e-commerce.

Visit http://www.telesign.com/demo2/ or call 310-276-5900 for more information.

TeleSign Corporation
Contact: Sam Gonen
Telephone: (310) 276-7843
Email: press2@telesign.com

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