General Practitioners are not reporting adverse reactions to prescriptions drugs because they are too busy, says the Royal College of GPs.
Adverse drug reactions account for 6% of hospital admissions, costing the NHS around £466 million per year. This includes prescriptions drugs, over-the counter medication and herbal remedies.
In order to prevent these adverse reactions, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) runs a national reporting system called the Yellow Card Scheme.
The voluntary scheme allows medical professionals and the public to record any adverse drug reactions. It was set up in the 1960s after the thalidomide scandal, and has since had great success in helping to identify dangerous side-effects of prescription drugs.
For example, through the Yellow Card Scheme it was discovered that zyban – a nicotine-addiction medicine – could cause seizures if taken with other drugs. This had led to dose instructions being altered.
However, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that GPs are failing to report adverse drug reactions. Just 4,000 cases were reported by GPs in 2013, down from 5,500 10 years ago.
Dr Maureen Baker, who chairs the Royal College of GPs, says family doctors are simply too busy. “The service is extremely stretched”, she said. “Submitting reports is a professional responsibility but it can be a question of priorities.”
Dr Sarah Branch, from the MHRA’s Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines Division, urged medical professionals to use the scheme. “It’s vital that GPs, healthcare professionals and the public use the Yellow Card Scheme…especially if it’s a serious or previously unknown side-effect from a medicine or vaccine”, she said.
“Healthcare professionals have heavy workloads and we appreciate their support for the scheme, but we need them to use it more frequently. Identifying a new risk could have a major impact on the clinical management of patients.”
Prescriptions Errors
If you have suffered complications because of a prescription error and you believe your GP is at fault, you could be entitled to make a claim. Get in touch with us to discuss your case with a legal expert.
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