Every report counts: Call from 4 to 10 November for healthcare professionals and patients to report suspected side effects.

(OTS) - Medicines are used by millions of people to treat their illnesses. However, medicines can sometimes cause side effects. Correct use can drastically reduce the risk of side effects and serious harm. “Studies show that around half of all side effects could be avoided. Patient safety is our top priority and, as part of the #MedSafetyWeek campaign, we want to remind all patients to take their medication as intended or as prescribed and to remind all healthcare professionals to check therapies before prescribing, dispensing or administering them," says Dr Günter Waxenecker, Head of Business Unit at AGES Medical Market Surveillance and Head of Procedure at the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG).

By reporting side effects that occur, "together we can contribute to making medicines safer for everyone", emphasised Waxenecker at today's launch of the ninth global #MedSafetyWeek campaign, in which the BASG is one of 107 partner organisations. #MedSafetyWeek is a global campaign that runs from 4 to 10 November 2024 and involves 94 countries. 

This year's theme focuses on the importance of using medicines correctly, both to avoid side effects and to report side effects when they occur. "Not only researchers, scientists or healthcare professionals can make medicines safer, patients also play a crucial role as users of medicines. Every time you report a suspected adverse drug reaction to the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care, you are helping to make medicines safer for patients around the world," says Waxenecker.

During #MedSafetyWeek 2024, anyone can help spread the message of the campaign by using the hashtag #MedSafetyWeek and sharing posts on the social media of participating organisations.

Medicines authorities around the world have reporting systems in place to monitor the safety of medicines. The aim is to gain more knowledge about known side effects on the one hand and to discover new and rarer side effects on the other. This can lead, for example, to important warnings and also to changes in the way a medicine is used. Therefore, please do your part to ensure the safety of medicines. In Austria, side effects can be reported by doctors, pharmacists, nurses or other healthcare professionals and, of course, by the patients themselves.

Reporting options for suspected side effects

In Austria, all reports are thoroughly evaluated and checked by the BASG in order to take the necessary and correct steps to protect the users of medicinal products in Austria. Over 280,000 reports have been submitted since 2018. Patients can report adverse drug reactions to the BASG voluntarily and healthcare professionals (e.g. doctors, pharmacists...) are legally obliged to do so. It does not matter whether the reporter can prove a causal link between the adverse reaction and the medicinal product.

It is sufficient if such a connection is considered possible, e.g. due to temporal proximity or because another cause (co-medication, underlying diseases, etc.) is not recognisable. An adverse drug reaction report can be submitted quickly and easily electronically using the electronic reporting portal at https://www.basg.gv.at/en/market-surveillance/reporting/adverse-reactions/nebenwirkungsmeldung-human.

AGES and BASG supported the global campaign

The #MedSafetyWeek is an international campaign led by the Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC), the Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The campaign is supported by the WHO and the members of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA). Further information and free material for social media can be found on the campaign website. With over 380 employees, AGES Medicines Market Surveillance is the largest business area within the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety.

Three institutes ensure that only safe and effective medicinal products and medical devices are available to the population. The experts work on a variety of tasks related to the authorisation of medicinal products, the clinical testing of medicinal products and medical devices, pharmacovigilance (drug safety), vigilance in the field of medical devices and inspections. The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG), a subordinate authority of the Austrian Ministry of Health, is entrusted with the execution of sovereign tasks. 
 

Queries (technical):
Dr Christoph Baumgärtel, Tel.: +43 505 55-36004
E-mail: christoph.baumgaertel@ages.at

Queries (for media):
Communications Management, Tel.: +43 505 55-25000
E-mail: presse-basg@basg.gv.at