Mind's reaction to DoH plans to give patients a role in reporting side-effects

Posted Tuesday 4 May 2004

Reacting today to new Department of Health plans to give patients a role in reporting medicines' side effects regularly, Richard Brook, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said,

"The revised yellow card scheme will allow patients a direct voice whenever they experience unpleasant or dangerous side effects from the drugs they are prescribed. Anything that strengthens patients' rights in this way is very welcomed. 

"However, this is only part of a much bigger picture. We need to ensure that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agengy (MHRA), the people charged with regulating medicine in Britain, will act upon the evidence they hear, in a decisive and wholly impartial manner. At present the MHRA listens far too closely to the concerns of major pharmaceutical companies and not nearly close enough to people experiencing side effects from drugs that should be making them better, not worse."

In March 2004, Richard Brook resigned from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Expert Group on SSRIs, expressing concern that it failed to protect consumers from potentially harmful doses of the antidepressant Seroxat.

If you are taking Seroxat or any other prescribed drug and have concerns about your treatment you should always discuss them with your doctor. Do not stop or change medication without medical advice.

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