The Damage Being Done by the Sec of Health and Human Services

In another blog recently, a couple of doctors and I were lamenting about the state of affairs for the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC). It seems that the secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) is not concerned about the accuracy or completeness of the website and may have ordered some of the information removed.

I am not saying that the current secretary is involved, but it sure seems as if the former secretary, Kathleen Sebelius may have done much of the damage. In November 2013, and earlier for other blogs, the information about Victoza (liraglutide) was still on the website and I used the information in several blogs. Then during the Spring of 2014, all the information disappeared about Victoza. Other information that was labeled black box information about two other injectable diabetes drugs also disappeared although the remaining information has remained for the drugs Symlin and Byetta or Bydureon.

The information is fortunately available on the FDA site as a PDF file, this is the link. Victoza is still available by prescription; people need to have a source for the dangers of taking the drug.

Now, the other rub about the NDIC. There have been two additional combo drugs added, but they have not been included on the website. The newest diabetes drug class, SGLT2, Invokana and two others in the class approved by the FDA are still absent from the website.

We have to wonder why the website has fallen into such bad times, or if it is the victim of the funds that were directed elsewhere by an overly ambitious department head trying to please her boss.

Either way, the NDIC is no longer a dependable source for the discussion of diabetes medications, insulin or oral pills.