Mental Health Notes

The Consumers Union Calls For A Prescription For Change

by Alicia Sparks, NAMI Affiliation Leader on April 2nd, 2008

One of my mottoes has always been, “If you want something done, get up and do the damn thing.” Having that mentality is definitely one of the reasons I love grassroots movements and advocacy.

It’s also definitely one of the reasons I love passing along information about said grassroots movements and advocacy to you lovely people.

A couple of weeks after the Grab Drug Advertisements By The Pills series here at Mental Health Notes, I received an email from Consumers Union Grassroots Organizer Daniela Nunez about their recent petition to the FDA for better reporting of drug side effects. The Appropriately labeled Prescription for Change aims to urge the FDA to require the same MedWatch 1-800 number given in print drug advertisements to also be given during television drug advertisements, as well as Web site information.

Just to clarify, the MedWatch 1-800 number is the number consumers can call to report drug side effects. Congress passed legislation in 2007 requiring all print drug advertisements to include this number; however, it’s still up to the FDA to determine what kind of information (ahem, this number to report side effects) is included in television drug advertisements.

While briefing me on the current system to report side effects, Daniela explained:

Drug companies often fail to present the benefits and risks of the products they advertise, and it often isn’t until a drug is out on the market and taken by millions that we see safety problems emerge. The easier it is for consumers to report side effects, the earlier the FDA will be able to detect potential safety hazards.

The FDA’s current system for consumers to report drug side effects, called MedWatch is woefully inadequate; it’s estimated to collect only 1 to 10 percent of all adverse events - because consumers don’t know about it!

I have no problem believing that. I didn’t know about it. And believe me, given some of the side effects I’ve experienced - both while I was taking medication and while I was withdrawing from it (Cymbalta, anyone?) - I would have made good use of the number.

Damn good use.

This is a petition I think will interest many people - people who’ve experienced prescription medication side effects, people who want the FDA to make it easier to report side effects, and people who are upset they didn’t even know about this number and therefore want it better publicized, i.e. want it included in the television drug advertisements!

In addition to visiting the Prescription for Change Web site, you can find more information about this petition by checking out the Consumers Union press release and reading The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog post Consumer Group Says TV Drug Ads Should Carry FDA’s Number.

It’s up to us to make a change.

The above photo belongs to Duchamp and is being used under this Creative Commons attribution.

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POSTED IN: Current Affairs & News, Government & Politics, Inspiring News, Medications, Mental Health Advocacy, Rants & Raves, Side Effects, Sites of Interest