Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine Winter 2023

planning a number of other events between
now and then.
And music lovers are reminded that the
monthly It’s BRAW music sessions take place
on the first Sunday of the month from 6pm to
8pm in the British Legion on George Street in
Blairgowrie.
For further details, follow It’s BRAW! on
Facebook or visit the website at
www.itsbraw.scot Alternatively, email
admin@itsbraw.scot to be added to our new
quarterly e-newsletter for updates on events.
Pharmacovigilance &
The Yellow Card Scheme
Do your part to improve medicines safety in
Scotland — report adverse effects of medicines
to the Yellow Card Scheme.
φάρμακον + vigilans
Originating from the Greek word for medicine
(pharmakon) and the Latin word for watching
(vigilans), pharmacovigilance literally means to
be watchful over medicines. More specifically,
it is the science and activities relating to the
detection, assessment, understanding, and
prevention of adverse drug reactions or any
other medicine-related problem.
Side effects of medicines, or adverse drug
reactions (ADRs), are common, they can
be serious, and, because more people are
using more medicines for longer, they are an
increasing public health problem. They can
affect quality of life, affect compliance with
treatment, and may be distressing for patients.
Although the safety of medicines must
be demonstrated in clinical trials before
marketing, new side-effects often emerge in
the post-marketing setting when the medicine
is used in the wider population (“real world”).
In particular, rarer side effects may not be
evident in clinical trials due to the limited
numbers of people included.
Because of these limitations, the postmarketing
surveillance of medicines is vitally
important. In the UK, one of the key tools for
pharmacovigilance of products after their
release onto the market is the Yellow Card
Scheme.
The Yellow Card Scheme Needs You
Following the thalidomide disaster in the
early 1960s, the Yellow Card Scheme was
established to provide an early warning for
medicines which may require further safety
investigation, and continues to do so today
under the supervision of the Medicines and
Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA). Over the years the Yellow Card
Scheme has evolved from a platform where
only doctors could submit reports to the
platform we have today, that encourages
reports from all healthcare professionals as
well as the public.
Anyone can report any suspected side
effect to any medicine, vaccine, herbal or
complementary medicine, but it is especially
important to report suspected side effects
to medicines that occur in children or during
pregnancy or breastfeeding. Side-effects which
seem unusual, are serious (such as those
causing hospitalisation), or occur with a new
medicine are also of particular interest.
When a report is submitted it adds to a
growing database of information. Potential
new side effects are assessed by medicines
safety experts–together with additional
sources of information–to determine whether
any action needs to be taken to ensure patient
safety. When there is a present risk to patient
safety the MHRA may even issue a withdrawal
of medicines or devices.
The importance of pharmacovigilance and the
Yellow Card Scheme cannot be overstated,
especially with new medicines coming onto
the market every year, so if ever you suspect
a symptom may be due to an adverse drug
reaction, consider submitting a report online
(https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by
telephone (0800 731 6789).
More information on the Yellow Card Scheme
and adverse drug reactions can be found at
the Yellow Card Centre Scotland website:
https://www.yccscotland.scot.nhs.uk/
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