@spendius,
Quote:I asked why the FDA had not restricted the use of this drug.
Propofol is not a drug that is prescribed for use by patients. It is anesthesia, and, as such, it is only administered by physicians. The drug is intended for, and restricted to, it's use as an anesthesia/hypnotic for surgery and as sedation in certain cases (i.e. patients who are on ventilators and breathing by artificial means). It is not intended for the treatment of insomnia--that would be an "off label" use of the drug, meaning the FDA has not approved it for such use.
All general anesthesias, like Propofol, are "dangerous drugs" because they can have potentially life-threatening effects. That's why they are only administered by qualified physicians--anesthesiologists--in settings such as hospitals or surgical suites which are fully equipped with monitoring and resuscitation equipment so that the foreseeable adverse effects of such drugs, such as cessation of breathing, can be either prevented or immediately detected in order to immediately intervene and reverse such effects. The patient must be carefully monitored and observed at all times during administration of Propofol because the effects can be unpredictable and not always dose related. Other medical personnel should also be in the area to assist with treating any adverse reactions or resuscitation efforts.
If all of the above necessary safeguards are in place, Propofol is considered to be a relatively safe drug to use, and it is widely in use in both human and veterinary surgery.
Unfortunately, Dr. Murray not only administered the drug for an unapproved use, he departed from the acceptable medical standard of care for using this drug by having none of the necessary safeguards in place--he had inadequate monitoring equipment, virtually no resuscitation equipment, no other medical personnel available, and he left his patient unobserved and unattended when he left the room for 45 minutes.
In Dr. Murray's hands, Propofol was indeed a dangerous drug--it killed his patient. But that was due to Dr, Murray's criminal negligence regarding the conditions of administration of the drug.