MH900104752When a negative ‘surprise’ (or abnormal experience) occurs after taking medications or using a medical device – you can easily take action.  Means are available and include bedsides the obvious of calling the pharmacy or medical subscriber – you can ‘go to’ the FDA! The FDA website (medwatch) is a plethora of information with plenty of research  and you can also report your concern.

Examples of concern include:

  •  it occurs to you that there might be a problem with the quality of the drug, product or medical device
  • often you were taking a drug that worked then you were switched to a different manufacturer (usually a generic company) by the pharmacy or your insurance plan only to have it not ‘work’
  • experience a reaction you believe to be a side effect – new symptoms or worsening symptoms after taking  a drug or using a medical product/device
  • took a drug, or used a medical device incorrectly and it may have had a negative/unsafe effect for you.

Know there are many ways for YOU to address any of the above possible concerns:

-anyone can call the FDA at 1-800-332-1080 or go to their help website.

– a specific form (MEDWATCH Consumer Voluntary Reporting)  can be filled in online or printed and mailed in. Please consider using this reporting mechanism.

If you are researching or want to know about a specific drug or device – your source should be  ‘medwatch’ – a free ‘.gov’ site of the FDA. Here anyone can have access to info about such things as tobacco products, cosmetics, including veterinary products it is a great ‘go to’ site. Want to know about foods and especially current recalls and outbreaks this site is the way to find out.  I was glad to see also covered was ‘dietary supplements’ – we all take so many of them.

This is a superb all-inclusive FREE info site!