Hospital Pharmacist
2008;15:77
March 2008

News summary

Hospital pharmacists urged to help patients report side effects

Hospital pharmacists have not been overlooked by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the expansion of its side effects reporting scheme to include the public, despite the fact that a high-profile campaign to promote the scheme focuses on community pharmacies.

Mick Foy, group manager, Pharmacovigilance Signal Management Group, MHRA, told Hospital Pharmacist that the community campaign is important to make the public aware of possible side effects of medicines including over the counter medicines and herbal products, but added:

“Hospital pharmacists, who contribute around 10 per cent of all reports, continue to play a vital role to the yellow card scheme and could add to this by talking to patients about the scheme in the hospital setting.”

He emphasised the importance of receiving reports from multiple sources and said that a number of hospital pharmacies have already requested campaign packs.

For details visit www.yellowcard.gov.uk