ADRAC to be abolished

[Guest guest]

And why shouldn't the AVN have a seat on the committee that looks at

vaccine reactions? As soon as we have more information, we will ask

for help in lobbying to make sure that this is the case. The consumer

representatives on this committee MUST involve representatives of the

AVN!

A

ustralia’s drug adverse

effects watchdog is

to be abolished and a

new committee set up to take

a more pro-active approach to

drug safety and post-marketing

surveillance of medicines.

According to the TGA News

(link), the Adverse Drug

Reactions Advisory Committee

(ADRAC) will be replaced by a

'Medicines Safety Committee'

as part of a 'whole-of-lifecycle'

approach to pharmacovigilance

for prescription medicines.

The new approach (link) will

also bring in drug audits, the

appointment of an individual

‘drug monitor’ to oversee safety

of specific drugs and a more

flexible protocol that will allow

drugs to be suspended rather

than withdrawn or recalled

when safety issues arise.

In the reforms planned for

next year, the TGA says it will

also improve access to drug

data and increase transparency,

with the regulatory body

pledging to release more

information about listed drugs

and inviting consumers to sit on

all its committees.

As part of this effort, the

TGA says it will be publishing

consumer medicines

information (CMI) for all drugs

and make this available on the

TGA website.

The legislative amendments

needed are expected to be

introduced in the autumn 2009

sitting of Australian Parliament.ADRAC to be abolished

â–  Woodhead

> Meryl Dorey,

> President

> Australian Vaccination Network

> Enabling Australians to make informed health choices

> Editor

> Living Wisdom Magazine

> Empowering Positive Change

> PO Box 177

> BANGALOW NSW 2479

> Phone: (61 +2) 02 6687 1699

> FAX (61 +2) 02 6687 2032

> SKYPE: ivmmag

> meryl@...

> www.avn.org.au <http://www.avn.org.au/>

>