News Category: Regulatory news
People are encouraged to report suspected side effects of medicines as part of the global #MedSafetyWeek social media campaign
Launched today by the HPRA, the seventh annual #MedSafetyWeek is running until 13 November to encourage everyone to report suspected side effects of medicines. This year’s global campaign involves medicines regulators from 82 countries and focuses on the key role of every healthcare professional, patient, and carer who reports a suspected side effect and contributes to using medicines safely.
All medicines may cause side effects in some patients, so there are steps in place to continuously monitor their safety after they are placed on the market. The purpose of safety monitoring is to gain more information about known side effects and find out about new ones. Regulators operate systems to detect and analyse those side effects and prevent harm to future patients.
The HPRA collects, organises, and investigates reports of suspected side effects. Reports of side effects have helped identify several safety issues which were not previously recognised as being linked to a particular medicine until the HPRA received information from reports.
By reporting suspected side effects to the HPRA, you are actively participating in identifying emerging safety issues, so that the HPRA can take action when necessary and protect you and others from harm.
Sinead Curran, Director of Human Products Monitoring at the HPRA, says:
“Every report made by a patient, a healthcare professional, or a carer plays a key role in gaining more knowledge about the benefits and risks of medicines in clinical use and allows action to be taken to minimise risks.
“Reporting suspected side effects to the HPRA helps to improve the safety of medicines for all patients and, in some cases, can result in better tailored prescribing advice, which can improve patient outcomes.
“If you, or a patient you are supporting, experience a side effect with a medicine, make sure to report it to us promptly.”
Anyone can report suspected side effects to the HPRA. You can submit a report in many ways:
- Completing the HPRA’s online reporting forms
- Emailing a completed form
- Printing and posting a completed form
- Phoning us on (01) 676 4971
Visit the HPRA’s reporting webpage to complete an online form, or to download or print a form: hpra.ie/report.