Family matters

Adverse drug reactions need to be taken seriously

I regularly hear from patients and parents that reporting adverse drug reactions to doctors frequently leads to denial of the association. This short-circuits the entire system - a system that is supposed to safeguard everyone. My understanding is that drug reactions can only be reported by doctors and, if this is so, the system is falling down at the first hurdle.

A few months ago, someone resigned from the drugs agency saying that even when doctors did report adverse reactions, they were not acted upon. This is a serious issue, and needs to be brought more forcibly to public attention. - Steve Scrutton, Homoeopath, via e-mail

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