Thankfully local and major news reported worldwide on the Vioxx recall. This is a major news event for a drug that was so commonly used across the board. During a trial to see the "good" that Vioxx was doing for its users, it was noted that the drug itself created a raised risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke. This came as a shock to many. The company voluntarily pulled the product off of the shelves and out of the hands of doctors, themselves. Which is a move the health industry applauds and rightfully so. To give you a grasp on the problem, worldwide sales reported for the drug in 2003 were $2.5 Billion. Two and a half billion dollars worth of Vioxx was distributed to patients and we are now finding out that this drug could possibly have done more harm than good for the patients that relied on it. The Vioxx recall, in my opinion is a sign that maybe more studies have to be done to drugs before they are just thrown in to the marketplace. While I stand behind that some drugs should be pushed to the head of the line to help in the possible aid of malignant diseases and such. Is it the worth the risk of a pain medication to possible put you on the verge of death just for sales? There are plenty of lawsuits and lawyers going after the company for just that. Patients may have had heart attacks, stroke, or even died possibly due to the medication itself. While this may be the case we here at Ocean-State.Info due commend the company for pulling the product off the shelf immediately following the release of the study information.