This is a nice TED talk on the problem of publication bias. The FDA is complicit in this problem because they dont force drug companies to publish their studies. Consumers (doctors and patients) never get the whole story. No amount of critical appraisal skills can overcome this problem.

Ben Goldacre: What doctors don’t know about the drugs they prescribe

Truly sad… Not sure what any of us can do though short of going to the FDA website for every drug we prescribe (or at least the new ones) and seeing what was submitted for approval.