Celebrating 13 Years of Nonprofit Independence
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Shedding Light on the Risks
& Benefits of Medications 
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Our Mission

To achieve a world where all people are fully informed about drug benefits and side effects, and where there are safer medications for all. Our journalism aims to both inform and empower individuals making health care decisions, and also stimulate public discussion to encourage solutions and positive change.

MedShadow Foundation

MedShadow Foundation was founded in 2013 by Suzanne Robotti. We are a 501(C)3 nonprofit that focuses on the safest ways to take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) drugs.

While medications have many benefits, it’s essential to know how to balance these against their potential side effects. In fact, our name reflects the fact that side effects can sometimes be difficult to recognize, which is why we work to illuminate and explain medication reactions that may be minimized or obscured. We also help people consider integrative health options including nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes to optimize one’s health.

Suzanne Robotti

Founder & President of MedShadow & President of DES Action USA

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

At MedShadow.org, we provide evidence-and science-based information, independent of pharmaceutical influence.. Our service and investigative journalism enables people to make informed decisions in their everyday lives. We also strive to stimulate public conversation aimed at reforming the drug manufacturing processes to ensure that we are all better protected.

We do not receive any financial support from the pharmaceutical or supplement industries and we require that all our staff, writers, advisors and other partners also be free from any remunerative relationships with such companies.

0%

of Americans take prescription drugs

(27% of those
take 4 or more)

0%

of U.S. adults take supplements

(55% use them regularly)

0%

of people in the U.S. use nonprescription medicines
to treat cold, cough, and flu symptoms

0%

of all drug recalls (2012–2023)
were due to
sterility issues

DES Action USA

DES Action USA is the most complete source of information on DES (diethylstilbestrol) in the US and is the nonprofit advocacy organization for those exposed to DES.

DES was prescribed to five to 10 million pregnant women during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, in theory to avoid miscarrying during pregnancy. In 1971 the U.S. FDA issued a warning not to prescribe DES to pregnant women, following the publication of a study that linked the drug to a rare vaginal and cervical cancer in young women. Continuing research discovered a wide spectrum of harms from this synthetic estrogen, which was also the first endocrine disrupter entered by humans into the environment.

In December 2014, DES Action USA moved under the MedShadow Foundation umbrella after DES Action asked Suzanne Robotti, herself a DES Daughter, and the founder of MedShadow, to take over the management of what was then a member organization. Robotti eagerly accepted as the two organizations share a common mission – to educate the public about medication side effects.

Our Projects: Changes We Want to Help Keep People Safer

Report Drug Side Effects

A landmark review of 37 studies across 12 countries, including in the U.S., found that drug side effects went unreported 94% of the time. Your report could be the one that triggers the next investigation, protecting the next patient from preventable harm.

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Support Pharmacists

Across the country, pharmacies are disappearing fast. Since 2010, nearly one in three U.S. pharmacies has closed. Millions of people depend on pharmacists to bridge gaps in healthcare access. This makes the rapid rate of pharmacy closures and widespread burnout so alarming.

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Increase FDA Lab Inspections

Here’s an alarming fact: More than 2,000 pharmaceutical plants (both overseas and in the U.S.) have not been inspected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in five years or more. This represents 42% of all 4,700 plants currently registered to produce drugs for the U.S., including medications such as antibiotics, blood thinners and cancer treatments*.

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Improve Generic Drug Safety

Whenever Virginia resident Marilynn Monroe refills her ADHD medication, she feels like she’s “playing Russian Roulette.” Why? Because she’s never certain which version of her medication she’ll receive – and what kinds of undesired side effects she’ll have as a result.

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What is unbiased drug-safety journalism worth to you?

We think it’s invaluable — and hope you agree. Our work is made possible by donations from readers like you.

Donate to MedShadow
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What is Unbiased Drug-Safety Journalism Worth to You?

We think it’s invaluable — and hope you agree. Our journalism is made possible by donations from readers like you.

As a nonprofit, we don’t take a dime from pharmaceutical or supplement companies. That means we can report on the benefits, risks, and alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter drugs free from corporate pressure or influence.

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