Medication adverse reactions and patient safety

Summary

Unsafe medication practices and medication-related harm are one of the leading causes of avoidable harm in health and care. This year’s #MedSafetyWeek focuses on the theme “we can all help make medicines safer”. We have collated patient interviews and blogs shared on the hub that raise awareness of medication adverse reactions, and resources on how you can report a problem.

Content

1 MHRA: The Yellow Card Scheme

The Yellow Card Scheme helps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) monitor the safety of all healthcare products in the UK to ensure they are acceptably safe for patients and those who use them. On the Yellow Card Scheme website you can report a suspected incident or problem. 

2 The question that will save lives: Interview with Katinka Blackford Newman, founder of Antidepressant Risks

Antidepressant medications are taken by millions of people globally. A small percentage of people who take them will experience rare but dangerous adverse reactions. In this interview, Katinka Blackford Newman tells us about her personal experience of antidepressant-induced psychosis and how this led her to campaign for increased awareness about side effects. She highlights a widespread lack of education and awareness about the risks associated with antidepressants and outlines why she is asking suicide prevention charities to ask callers one simple question about their medication.

3 Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Marie Lyon, chair of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests

In this interview, Marie Lyon talks about her campaign for justice for families affected by hormone pregnancy tests, why she is passionate about reforming medicines regulation and the important role patient campaigners play in improving patient safety.

4 USA: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) public dashboard

FAERS is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) primary database for collecting and analysing adverse event reports, serious medication errors, and product quality complaints for prescription drugs and therapeutic biologics, containing reports submitted by healthcare professionals, consumers, and manufacturers.

5 Recognising adverse events and using the yellow card system

Despite the role of the MHRA’s Yellow Card reporting system in pharmacovigilance in the UK, understanding and uptake of the scheme remains limited. East London NHS Foundation Trust share how they designed a survey to explore healthcare professionals’ awareness, usage and perceptions of the Yellow Card Scheme for reporting adverse drug reactions.

6 Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction: After 30 years, why is the health system still failing to recognise this life-limiting adverse effect?

Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) is a long-term adverse effect of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), a type of antidepressant medication. In this opinion piece, Harriet Vogt, Patient Safety Partner at NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board, outlines the need for recognition and research into PSSD to allow patients to make truly informed choices when considering SSRIs. She looks at the impact PSSD has on the sexual and emotional lives of thousands of people and highlights a new research study analysing the obstacles to quantifying its incidence and prevalence. Harriet argues that while the health system is beginning to recognise the value of placing patients at the heart of efforts to improve safety, this focus on listening is rarely given to individual patients who express concern about the impact of their medication or treatment.

7 MHRA: Reporting a possible side effect to a medicine – a guide for Children and Young People

The MHRA has produced a guide to download and share to help children and young people learn why it's important to report possible side effects of medication.

8 Sodium Valproate: The Fetal Valproate Syndrome Tragedy

In this article, Sharon Hartles, member of the Open University’s Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative, reflects upon the use of Sodium Valporate, marketed as Epilim, to treat patients at risk of epilepsy and the subsequent harms in fetal development and birth defects that arose from its use. ‘

9 Interview with Charlet Crichton, founder of UKCVFamily

UKCVFamily was set up in November 2021 to support patients in the UK who have had an adverse reaction to a Covid-19 vaccination. The group provides help and advocacy as well as raising awareness amongst healthcare professionals, the media and the Government. In this video, founder of UKCVFamily Charlet Crichton talks to us about the side effects she experienced after having the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. She outlines why she established the group and describes the support it offers to patients. She outlines some of the issues people face when trying to access diagnosis and treatment, and discusses the limitations of the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme in collecting data about adverse reactions. She also describes how healthcare professionals can support people with adverse reactions by taking their concerns seriously and investigating symptoms thoroughly.

Share your stories

Have you had an adverse reaction to medication? What do you think of the Yellow Card reporting system? Share your thoughts and experiences with us on the hub. You can comment below (you will need to be signed in first; sign up is free and easy) or email us at [email protected].