Report suspected side effects to help make medicines safer

Report suspected side effects to help make medicines safer

State Agency of Medicines of Latvia is running a social media campaign between 7-11 November 2016 to promote reporting of suspected medicines side effects, as part of an EU-wide awareness week.

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Medicines have the potential to harm as well as cure. While, for most patients, medicines are safe and effective, side effects can happen. It is important that the risks associated with medicines are understood and communicated to health professionals and patients. Regulators like State Agency of Medicines of Latvia rely on the reporting of suspected side effects to make sure medicines on the market are acceptably safe. Unfortunately, all reporting systems suffer from under reporting, and this is why this campaign is important to both raise awareness and help strengthen the system.

At the centre of the campaign is an animation showing the story of a patient who has a suspected adverse reaction. It shows the medicine being taken, a suspected side effect being experienced, how reports are made by patients or healthcare professionals to the medicines regulator, and how this benefits future patients.

The campaign is part of the Strengthening Collaboration for Operating Pharmacovigilance in Europe (SCOPE) Joint Action project. One of its main aims is to raise awareness of national reporting systems for suspected side effects in medicines.

The SCOPE Joint Action project www.scopejointaction.eu aims to support EU Member States in the operation of their pharmacovigilance systems which help safeguard public health. It is funded through contributions from European Commission and the involved Member States.

The SCOPE Joint Action project social media campaign is being taken forward through the Heads of Medicines Agencies Working Group for Communications Professionals.