Find the Latest Drug Product and Safety Information

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes a comprehensive approach to making information on potential drug risks available to the public. 

When FDA receives information about the safety of a drug or other problems, such as medication errors, the agency evaluates how best to communicate this information—depending on how serious and frequent the problem is, and whether evidence shows that the reported problem is actually related to the drug.

Providing timely information can help health care professionals and patients make better treatment choices. FDA encourages consumers to talk with their health care professionals and ask questions about the benefits and risks of the drugs they are taking.

There are many different types of communications that inform the public about the safe use of medicines. So how can you find information about a drug you are taking, whether it's a new warning, an early communication about an ongoing safety review, or other FDA actions?

Here are some of the resources that can help you stay informed.

Index to Drug-Specific Information

This index features an alphabetical listing of drugs that have been the subject of a Public Health Advisory, a Healthcare Professional Information sheet, an Early Communication About an Ongoing Safety Issue, or other important information. 

Public Health Advisories

These advisories contain important drug safety information and recommendations of actions that can be taken to avoid or minimize harm from a drug. You can access a online listing of FDA Public Health Advisories by date.

MedWatch Alerts

MedWatch provides timely new safety information on human drugs, medical devices, vaccines and other biologics, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. The alerts contain information that may affect choices and treatment using these products. MedWatch is also a venue for reporting any unexpected side effects (adverse events) of these products. You can sign up to receive MedWatch safety alerts by e-mail. 

DailyMed

Developed with the National Library of Medicine, DailyMed is a Web site that gives physicians and patients electronic access to FDA-approved drug labels. 

Drugs@FDA

This resource allows you to search for information about FDA-approved brand-name and generic drugs and therapeutic biological products, which are proteins derived from living material (such as cells or tissues) used to treat or cure disease. You can search in many ways, including by drug name and active ingredient. 

FDA Drug Safety Podcasts

Podcasting is a method of publishing and syndicating audio broadcasts through the Internet. These podcasts provide emerging safety information about drugs in conjunction with the release of Public Health Advisories. 

FDA Drug Safety Newsletter

Aimed at health care professionals, this quarterly publication is designed to enhance communication of safety information after a drug is marketed. The newsletter raises awareness of adverse events and stimulates reporting of adverse events. 

FDA Consumer Health Information

FDA offers timely and easy-to-read articles on product approvals, safety warnings, and other health information. Articles cover all FDA-regulated products, including human drugs, drugs and feed for animals, medical devices, vaccines, blood, food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. To find these articles, visit the Consumer Web page.

You can also sign up to receive notices of new consumer articles. 

Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts

FDA provides information on drug products that have been recalled due to manufacturing problems and/or safety concerns. In addition to information released to the public by a manufacturer using the normal media channels, FDA posts information about these recalled drug products on its Web site. You can also sign up to receive e-mail notices of product recalls.

Patient Safety News

This is a televised series for health care professionals, carried on satellite broadcast networks aimed at hospitals and other medical facilities across the country. It features safety information on new drugs, biological products, and medical devices.

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

 

Updated: May 22, 2009