New route for side effect complaints

Patients with side effects from drugs will be able to report them
directly to the medicine watchdog under new government plans.

Health minister Lord Warner announced the move this week following
concerns about the use of Seroxat and other antidepressants amid
claims that drug firms were suppressing the results of unfavourable
drug trials (news, page 7, 29 April). This came in the wake of the
resignation from the Committee on the Safety of Medicine of Mind
chief executive Richard Brook, over Seroxat dosage concerns.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will pilot
various methods of patient reporting, including using the internet.
Reporting drug side effects was previously the responsibility of
GPs.