#24 A week in the name of medicines safety – part 1

To mark #MedSafetyWeek, which takes place from 6–12 November,
we’re releasing a special two-part episode on pharmacovigilance
communication campaigns. In this first part, we speak to Mitul
Jadeja from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency in the UK about under-reporting and how initiatives like
#MedSafetyWeek can help draw attention to medicines safety.


Tune in to find out:


Why under-reporting plagues all pharmacovigilance systems

What regulators can do to encourage people to report side
effects

Why we need reports from both patients and healthcare
professionals



Want to know more?


 Here are the studies cited in the episode:


A BMJ study in 2022 measured the burden and associated cost
of adverse drug reactions, polypharmacy and multimorbidity at a
hospital in the UK.

In 1976, Inman proposed a theoretical model, known as the
‘seven deadly sins’, to explain why healthcare professionals fail
to report adverse drug reactions. This recent systematic review
in Drug Safety expands on that. 

The SCOPE Joint Action project aimed to enhance
pharmacovigilance in the EU and delivered practical guidance for
regulators.

The first UK study to compare Yellow Card reports from
patients and healthcare professionals was published in 2012.



To join the #MedSafetyWeek campaign next week, follow the hashtag
online and check out the campaign website for free social media
materials.


Finally, don’t forget to tune in on 13 November for part 2 of
this podcast, where we’ll hear from #MedSafetyWeek advocates in
Iraq, Luxembourg, and Namibia about their experience with the
campaign. Read a preview of the conversation on Uppsala
Reports.






Join the conversation on social mediaFollow us on
Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or Bluesky and share your thoughts about
the show with the hashtag #DrugSafetyMatters.

Got a story to share?We’re always looking for new
content and interesting people to interview. If you have a great
idea for a show, get in touch!

About UMCRead more about Uppsala Monitoring Centre
and how we work to advance medicines safety.