FDA introduces online reporting system

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Wednesday introduced an online reporting system called Safety Watch System (SWS) to enable health workers report on safety issues related to drugs, vaccines and other regulated products to the Authority.

The SWS was also to complement the already existing system for reporting adverse events using the paper Adverse Reaction Form.

The introduction was made during a regional workshop for pharmaco-vigilance Officers in Tamale, which was supported by Access and Delivery Partnership Programme and the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO).

The event was to provide refresher training for health workers and also inform them on some of the new initiatives of the FDA to improve patient safety and how to use the SMS.

Mr George Sabblah, the Head of the Safety Monitoring Department at the Food and Drugs Authority, said the SWS would help to reduce side effect of adverse drug reactions on patients and help regulate other medicinal products used in the country.

He said the SWS system could also be used by patients and the pharmaceutical industry to report safety issues on the side effects of drugs and vaccines.

Mr Sabblah said patients who had difficulty in accessing the SWS can report safety issues through designated community pharmaceutical centres to the FDA.

He said the training had already taken place in six regions and that about 700 health workers are targeted to be trained nationwide on how to use the system.

Mr Sabblah said health workers and patients can report to the FDA through the Safety Watch System at http://adr.fdaghana.gov.gh/ or www.fdaghana.gov.gh