Reporting a suspected adverse reaction: MedWatch, Yellow Card and why it matters

If you think a medicine or product caused a problem, a forum post is not where it counts. Regulators collect suspected adverse reactions from patients as well as professionals, and those reports are one of the ways safety signals for drugs and unapproved products are found.

• United States: FDA MedWatch accepts voluntary reports from consumers online.
• United Kingdom: the MHRA Yellow Card scheme accepts reports from anyone, including about products bought outside normal supply chains.
• Elsewhere: most national medicines regulators run an equivalent scheme; post the link for yours below.

A useful report says what the product was (as labelled), when symptoms started, what happened and what was done. You do not need to be sure the product caused it.

If symptoms are severe or getting worse, contact emergency services or a clinician first.

This board removes sourcing requests and dosing advice. Questions about how reporting works, and links to official schemes in other countries, are welcome.

Sources

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MedWatch: the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. fda.gov/safety/medwatch
2. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Yellow Card scheme. yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk