Federal regulators in the US have issued new rules under which pharmaceutical companies are required to print clear and concise drug warning labels. However some lawyers believe that the new guidelines could be used to protect drug companies from potential lawsuits.

On Thursday, US Food and Drug Administration issued a new set of rules specifying the conditions when drug companies are obliged to put out warning labels on their products. In recent times, drug companies had been criticized for being too hasty in printing warning labels on medicines. The drug manufacturers did this to protect themselves from charges of not acting quickly to inform patients of potential hazards. As a result the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America have welcomed the new rules saying that they offer much-needed clarity.

However trial lawyers who represent consumers fear that the new guidelines may be misused by drug companies to withhold information on the potential risks that their products might carry. The American Association of Justice has argued that the excessively high standard of scientific evidence required by the new guidelines for a warning update will lead many drug companies to claim that they were not obliged to alert consumers of the risks.