CONTACT CONGRESS!

[NurseJudy]

We know that few people ever contact the FDA for adverse drug events. No one I have talk to knows that FDA Medwatch existed. Not everyone has internet access.

Here is my brilliant idea:

Contact all your Congress Persons, Senators, and President and ask that the FDA require the pharmacist question for adverse events and report them.

Have forms on pharmacy counters for people to fill out and mail in.

You might want to let Congress know that you want the lobbyist pressure from the drug companies that corrupts judgment to stop!

*http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

God bless all, Judy

[Darrell]

I searched MedWatch on this site and found 14 previous references. A good start would be to use this existing system if you haven't already.

[JL]

which "site" on whose "existing system?"
any links?
thanks

[NurseJudy]

If no one knows it is there, what good is it? When I call my blood glucose meter company with any problem, they immediately take a report for the FDA. What person does that with meds? Not the doctor. Too busy. Not the patient. Does not know the options. Putting the resource in front of him at the pharmacy will do that! Do we want things to change, or do we want the same system to do what it is, nothing?

[Darrell]

This site, JL. And MedWatch is at *www.fda.gov/medwatch/.

In my opinion, stacking forms at the pharmacy will generate scads of low-quality input that will have to be keyed in, interpreted, sorted, and filtered by yet another small army of bureaucrats that I'm not willing to pay for. Better to direct the effort at publicizing the existing system. For example, require the system URL be publicized on pharmacy receipts, bags, and patient information inserts.

[cjbrooksjc]

JL: Go to the top of this page, click on "Search" and enter "Medwatch" as your search argument (search all). Lots of the forum are aware of this FDA vehicle and have used it to lodge a complaint. Also search on Finance Committee, that is another vehicle we have used in the past to get the word out to Federal agencies.

Brooks