Adverse Event Reporting Made Easy
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for assuring the safety and efficacy of all regulated, marketed medical products.
MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program, serves both health care professionals and the medical product-using public, providing important and timely clinical information on safety issues involving medical products. These products include prescription and over-the-counter drugs, biologics, medical and radiation-emitting devices, and special nutritional products (e.g., medical foods, dietary supplements and infant formulas).
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Medical product safety alerts, recalls, withdrawals, and important labeling changes that may affect patients' health are quickly disseminated to the medical community and the general public via this Web site and the MedWatch E-list (http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/elist.htm.) In order to keep effective drugs and devices available on the market for use by you and your patients, the FDA relies on the voluntary reporting of these events. The FDA uses this data to maintain safety surveillance of all FDA-regulated products. Your report may be the critical action that prompts a modification in use or design of a product, improves the safety profile of a drug or device, and leads to increased patient safety.
MedWatch allows health care professionals and consumers to report serious problems that may be associated with the drugs and medical devices prescribed, dispensed or used. Clinicians and patients can report on-line, by phone, or by submitting the MedWatch 3500 form (available on the FDA Web site) by mail or fax.
Seborrhea Education Booklet Available
The first educational booklet for patients with seborrheic dermatitis of the face is now available from Healthpoint, Ltd. The new booklet describes this common skin disorder, and provides tips for its management and prevention.
Seborrheic dermatitis can develop in males or females at any age, but it is slightly more common in men and has long been considered especially prevalent in babies, the middle aged and the elderly. Although the exact cause of the condition remains unknown, a number of potential factors in the development of the skin disorder have been identified, including the Pityrosporum yeast, as well as genetic, hormonal and environmental factors, and poor hygiene.
Copies of the booklet, called "Facing Seborrheic Dermatitis," are available to clinicians free of charge by calling (800) 441-8227 or writing Healthpoint, Ltd., 3909 Hulen St., Fort Worth, TX 76107.
Help for Kinship Caregivers
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Across the country, more than 6 million children are being raised by grandparents or other relatives. Many kinship caregivers are not aware of services available through their state. The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) and other national organizations have created state-specific fact sheets to help kinship caregivers learn about their state's efforts to help children and the relatives who are raising them.
In addition, CDF has created four helpful guides, written specifically for kinship caregivers, to answer questions regarding important issues affecting children in their care. These guides offer information on federal programs, eligibility requirements, and how to enroll children. The new guides are:
* The Grandparent's and Other Relative Caregiver's Guide to Child Care and Early Education Programs;
* The Grandparent's and Other Relative Caregiver's Guide to Food and Nutrition Programs for Children;
* The Grandparent's and Other Relative Caregiver's Guide to Health Insurance for Children;
* The Grandparent's and Other Relative Caregiver's Guide to Raising Children with Disabilities.
There is no charge for single copies of each guide. Multiple copies charge a postage fee and shipping and handling costs.
To learn more, call (202) 662-3568 or visit http://www.childrensdefense.org.