In Memory of Dr. David Flockhart

http://sideeffectspublicmedia.org/post/remembering-david-flockhart-md

On November 26, 2015, the floxie community lost Dr. David Flockhart, M.D., Ph.D., a beloved physician and researcher who passed away at his home in Indianapolis, surrounded by his family, after a year-long struggle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme.

Dr. Flockhart was a beacon of hope for many people dealing with fluoroquinolone toxicity. He acknowledged the harm done by fluoroquinolones, and was able to help hundreds of floxies with both his vast knowledge of the harm that fluoroquinolones do, and personalized treatment protocols. His floxed patients loved him for his caring bedside manner and he was considered by many to not only be a physician, but also a friend. He will be missed by many.

A lovely obituary for Dr. Flockhart can be found here – http://sideeffectspublicmedia.org/post/remembering-david-flockhart-md

From the above obituary, it is noted that, “Over the course of his career, he (Dr. Flockhart) became one of the world’s foremost authorities on drug interactions and reactions. Patients from around the nation sought his opinion when other doctors insisted they were simply imagining or inventing sometimes painful and debilitating side effects.”

Dr. Flockhart spoke out to the media about adverse effects of fluoroquinolones. He noted in the PBS Newshour Frontline expose, “Certain Antibiotics Spur Widening Reports of Severe Side Effects” that, “You don’t use these big guns, if you like, for killing mosquitoes, for little limb infections. You should use them appropriately for big infections that they’re useful for.”

Also, reported in the Washington Post article, “It Pays to Read the Warnings When You Open Up a Prescription,” “’The vast majority of physicians don’t even know how to report side effects to the FDA. They don’t have a clue,’ says David Flockhart, head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at the Medical School of Indiana University. ‘And there’s a psychological resistance to believing that what they’ve done has hurt.'”

Dozens of other quotes from Dr. Flockhart about fluoroquinolones can be found throughout the internet.

Dr. Flockhart didn’t only focus on fluoroquinolone toxicity. His career in research and medicine had many facets. He was a pioneer and leader in the field of pharmacogenetics, the understanding of how an individual’s genes affect his or her response to drugs. Additionally, “He published more than 250 articles, reviews, and book chapters, and was a member of many prestigious professional organizations. He received numerous awards, including the Leon I. Golberg Memorial Lecture Series Award from the University of Chicago, the Rawls-Palmer Award for Progress in Medicine from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and the Nathaniel T. Kwit Memorial Distinguished Service Award from the American College of Clinical Pharmacology.” (quoted from his obituary)

Candy Markman, a past board member of Amnesty International’s U.S. section and a personal friend of Dr. Flockhart noted that, “He was an enormously compassionate human being who really respected other human beings.”

My condolences to Dr. Flockhart’s family, friends, patients and associates. He is missed.