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As a long time critic of the MHRA's Yellow Card reporting system, credit where credit is due, I have to applaud their latest pilot scheme. I think it shows that the MHRA are aware that the Yellow Card system needs work and, it would appear, that they are actually doing something about it.
Back in October, they launched the scheme with the launch of video advertisements in doctors surgeries, and promotional activity to GPs and other primary care professionals at Primary Care Live (a big conference/exhibition in London).
Simon Gregor, MHRA Communications Director, told me, "The campaign is not in one specific area in the UK, but we are working with particular groups of surgeries. For the leaflets, we are working with those surgeries which use something called the IDS leaflet system, which is a means of getting the YC leaflets into the surgeries. There are 6000 surgeries which use this system, and we are aiming to distribute leaflets through all of them."
He added, "For the video, we are using a service called the Life Channel, which has a presence in 400 GP surgeries."
Some of the key points of this scheme are thus:
The MHRA has a responsibility and is committed to continually promoting the use of the YCS as a means of gathering information on side effects to medicines.
The YCS was officially extended to members of the public in February 2008, following a successful pilot.
Data from reporting volumes demonstrate a clear link between periods of campaigning raising awareness and numbers of reports received.
MHRA have embarked upon a campaign to further raise awareness amongst members of the public and health professionals.
For the public campaign MHRA are producing leaflets for pharmacy and general practice, a 30 second video explaining the scheme to patients will be shown on the Life Channel and use of the public media is planned. We are also linking the Yellow Card Scheme website to more external sites such as NHS Choices.
For the health professional campaign MHRA will be increasing its presence at professional meetings by having exhibition stands to promote the Scheme. The priority area will be conferences attended by primary care workers such as Primary care live and Royal College of GPs annual meeting.
In both campaigns key message will be to report side effects online.
Results will be measured by increased reporting from the target groups and increased proportion of online reports.
Here is the ad.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out, Simon Gregor has promised to relay any results to me once the scheme runs its course and we shall be meeting again in the early part of next year to discuss the findings of the scheme.
I will, as always, keep you all posted.
Fid
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'THE EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, IS CLEAR...THE SEROXAT SCANDAL' By Bob Fiddaman
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