Intended to Collect Adverse Drug Reaction Information from, and for, Canadians

On August 9, 2005 Health Canada launched "MedEffect", which is a new web site dedicated to collecting adverse drug reaction reports from Canadian doctors and patients as well as posting the drug-safety information gained as a result of these reports. 

This new web Health Canada site is just one part the overall MedEffect program.  More information about the MedEffect web site and Health Canada’s vision for it can be found on the MedEffect web site home page.

The MedEffect program has been developed by Health Canada’s Marketed Health Products Directorate (MHPD), with the following goals in mind:

To provide centralized access to relevant and reliable health product safety information as it becomes available, in an easy to find, easy to remember location. This includes access to Health Canada’s advisories, warnings and recalls; the Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter (CARN); and the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program (CADRMP) Online Query and Data Extract.

To make it as simple and efficient as possible for health professionals and consumers to complete and file adverse reaction reports via web, phone, fax or mail.

To build awareness about the importance of reporting adverse reaction reports to Health Canada, and how this information is used to identify and communicate potential risks.

On the surface, at least, this MedEffect web site seems similar in purpose and scope to the FDA’s MedWatch program, here.  One hopes, however, that the voluntary reporting of adverse drug reactions by doctors and patients in Canada exceeds the dismal rate of ten percent, or less, here in the U.S.  — that is, it is estimated that only one in ten adverse drug reaction incidents, here, are reported to the FDA through the MedWatch program.

(Posted by: Tom Lamb)