§ Mr. Ken HargreavesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to improve the yellow card reporting system for drug reaction; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAdverse reactions to medicinal products are reported to the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) on a voluntary basis by doctors and dentists under the yellow card scheme, and there is a statutory requirement for pharmaceutical companies to submit reports. A new improved computer system is currently being developed to support the scheme.
Reporting by prescribers is encouraged in a number of ways, for example by organising lectures to doctors on adverse reactions, exhibitions and a video to publicise the scheme, and by including yellow cards in publications used regularly by prescribers, for example, the British National Formulary, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry data sheet compendium and MIMS—the monthly index of medical specialities.
Specialist yellow cards are produced for anaesthetists; these are to be included in the drug administration record books used in operating theatres. The format of the yellow card is in the process of being revised in order both to help and improve reporting; CSM will undertake a publicity drive to promote the yellow card scheme once the revision has been completed.
CSM regional monitoring centres have also been set up in a number of national health service regions to encourage adverse reaction reporting locally and to 750W improve follow-up. There is a freefone service available to all parts of the United Kingdom for doctors seeking advice and information on adverse reactions.