USA Today digs into data on drugmakers’ safety warnings
Photo by Flickr user sinksanctity
Alison Young of USA Today compiles safety warnings at drug manufacturers into a sidebar to a curtain-raiser for a hearing regarding the recent Tylenol recall. Her straight news lede says:
“At least 43 drug factories supplying medication to thousands of U.S. consumers have received government warnings in recent months for failing to correct shoddy manufacturing practices that may have exposed patients to health risks, a USA TODAY review of records shows.”
The relatively short story lists instances where the FDA found safety issues.
Today’s Tip: Turn data into a sidebar.
By putting information about other companies into a sidebar, Alison gives more details than a graphic alone would provide. It also shows the problems aren’t just limited to McNeil. Finally, it means that information doesn’t get buried in the main story.
The main story also breaks news by reporting that the plant where McNeil Consumer Healthcare made the Tylenol products in the April 30 recall was also cited last year for “knowingly using a bacteria-tainted ingredient.”
