NEWS - FDA launches program to reduce drug-related injuries

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FDA Launches Program to Reduce Drug-Related Injuries

Brande

November 5, 2009 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has

launched a new program called the Safe Use Initiative to reduce

drug-related injuries from preventable sources of harm, agency

officials announced at an FDA press conference yesterday.

" The goal of the Safe Use Initiative is to reduce preventable harm by

identifying specific, preventable medication risks and developing,

implementing and evaluating cross-sector interventions with partners

who are committed to safe medication use, " according to an agency news

release.

The FDA indicates that as many as 3 billion prescriptions are written

each year, and millions of people are injured from medication use.

Many injuries are a result of people's limited access to adequate

information about a drug, its risks, or the patient's condition. Other

injuries occur because of misunderstanding of drug instructions,

dosing and dispensing errors, and unintentional or intentional misuse

of medications.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711919

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