Adverse Drug Reactions Database Flawed
When it comes to the Sickness industry, pretentiously called the Health industry, this is a typical situation.
..."Health Canada may not be well staffed &"...
Our tax money and Health Canada resources are spend chasing endlessly on trivial, generally non toxic alternate health items, while toxic drugs reactions are summarily ignored.
The only adverse reaction Health Canada is concerned about is the impact on the bottom line of their Pharma cronies. The incentives to get good adverse reaction reports are obliviously very low as poor data is essential to remain unaccountable in order to protect the Pharma friends. Hence, with the help of Health Canada, this is the only industry which keeps getting away with this kind of sloppiness.
Given their track record, one has to wonder if we really need Heath Canada? Without them, at least, the much safer alternatives health solutions would have a fair chance to compete and not be harassed. Then there just might be a Health care system instead of sickness care system!
Also see:
Health Canada attacks natural health products in the interest of the drug cartel
Chris Gupta
Data bank for adverse drug reactions flawed
Last Updated Tue Feb 17 13:22:36 2004OTTAWA-- A database used by Health Canada to track patients' adverse reactions to drugs on the market may not be doing its job as an effective early warning system, critics say.
INDEPTH: Tracking dangerous drugs
"The database is not particularly well-organized, there's a great deal of missing data Â… It is difficult to analyze these databases in any meaningful way," said Dr. Donna Stewart, chair of women's health with the University Health Network in Toronto.
"I think as a result of that and that Health Canada may not be well staffed Â… I think that one sees less than optimal use of these databases."
The system of monitoring reactions to drugs grew out of the thalidomide controversy of the early 1960s. Drug regulators around the world realized the necessity of tracking a drug's behaviour after it had gone to market.
After five years of asking, CBC News has acquired the entire database that Health Canada has been using to track adverse drug reactions across the country.
Stewart said that while there are issues with the quality of the information of the database, it is an integral part of how Health Canada tracks dangerous drugs.
Plagued by under-reporting
Critics says the database is an early warning system plagued by under-reporting. Doctors and other health workers can voluntarily report drug reactions, but they're not required to do so.
Terrance Young, whose daughter died in his arms after taking a drug that was later pulled from the market, said Health Canada needs to analyze the trends in the database more aggressively.
He said Health Canada needs to improve the way doctors are warned about unexpected and dangerous effects of drugs already on the market.
"If our doctors took the trouble to report adverse drug reactions properly or suspected adverse drug reactions, the alarm bells at Health Canada would be ringing regularly and we could get dangerous drugs off the market faster," Young said.
"If drug reactions were reported, and if Health Canada did what Health Canada is supposed to do, we could save thousands of lives," he said.
By its own admission, Health Canada concedes that 51 per cent of drugs marketed will cause serious side effects.
Dr. Michael RiederDr. Michael Rieder runs a pediatric adverse drug reaction clinic at the University of Western Ontario. "The average Canadian citizen, if they have a lot of confidence in the adverse reaction system, it's misplaced," said Rieder. "Because it's not a system that's necessarily timely [and it doesn't] pick up things people need to know as soon as possible."
Written by CBC News Online staff
Copyright © 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights ReservedSee also: Canada Gazette 2 - Food & Drugs Act
posted by Chris Gupta on Tuesday February 17 2004
updated on Saturday September 24 2005URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2004/02/17/adverse_drug_reactions_database_flawed.htm
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