Reporting adverse drug reactions encouraged

A recent British Medical Association (BMA) report calls for medical professionals to make more effort to report cases where a patient experiences an adverse drug reaction.

Head of BMA Ethics and Science Dr Vivienne Nathansan states that health professionals have a duty to report unwanted reactions:

“Unfortunately too many health professionals are confused about reporting procedures.

“Doctors must make sure they report any suspected adverse drug reaction and at the same time increase awareness among their patients about the reporting process.”

A ‘Yellow card’ scheme was set up by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after the Thalidomide tragedy in 1964. Originally this was just set up for Doctors and Dentists to report adverse drug reactions, but today this is extended to pharmacists, coroners, nurses and patients.

Around 250,000 patients a year experience adverse drug reactions which require hospitalisation, thought to cost £466 million to the NHS.

Dr June Raine runs the Yellow Card Scheme for the MHRA and has said:

"There is no need to prove that the medicine caused the adverse reaction - just the suspicion is good enough."

Healthcare professionals and patients can complete electronic Yellow Card reports via www.yellowcard.gov.uk or by free phone to the Yellow Card hotline 0808 100 3352.