Diabetes Blog – Happy-Medium.net

MedWatch, the USA Food and Drug Administration’s self-billed “premier safety reporting system” is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

MedWatch is also using the occasion to tout a new web-based learning tool called MedWatchLearn, including a nifty video that gives a lot of information about how to report issues to the FDA. Also, they’re rolling out a new reporting form that supposedly has less technical jargon than the previous form did. I didn’t see the previous form, so I can’t compare. The new one is more “consumer friendly”, but it’s still five pages long.

I know we like to beat up the FDA sometimes, but it’s important to remember that MedWatch has helped inform People With Diabetes about problems with blood glucose meters, the drugs Avandia and Actos, and insulin pump infusion sets. Those issues were reported by someone, and someone at the FDA listened. And then reported on it.
 
 
Here’s a link to the official announcement and the new reporting form:
Announcement: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/ucm353999.htm?source=govdelivery

Form: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Forms/UCM349464.pdf?source=govdelivery

And of course, you can always reach the Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov/medwatch, or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Happy Anniversary MedWatch… here’s hoping all our drugs and devices work perfectly and we never need to talk to each other again.