Developments for yellow card scheme announced
Direct patient reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) via the yellow card scheme is to be rolled out, it was announced on 4 May, the 40th anniversary of the scheme.
The decision is one of a number of
recommendations made in a review of the yellow card scheme. Health minister
Lord Warner said that he accepted the proposal to allow direct patient
reporting and that the other recommendations in the report will now be
subject to a consultation period. Patient reporting of suspected ADRs
through NHS Direct has already been the subject of trials (PJ, 3 May
2003, p608).
The review was set up to examine the possibility of allowing greater
access to yellow card data. It concluded that researchers should be allowed
to use yellow card data subject to certain conditions around ethics and
patient confidentiality.
Anthony Cox, ADR pharmacist at the West Midlands Centre for ADR reporting,
told The Journal: “Although attention will be focused on the introduction
of direct patient reporting and proposals for yellow card data to be
available to independent researchers, I think it is important to note
that the report does reinforce how valuable the yellow card scheme has
been. Pharmacists should continue to build on their important contribution
to the safety of medicines via the scheme.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader