Adverse drug event network launched

Montvale, N.J. - PDR Network, a distributor of drug-labeling information and safety alerts, has joined with several electronic health record (EHR) vendors and other partners to launch an online network to collect and distribute information on adverse drug events in the United States.

According to a statement released by PDR Network, based here, the new service, called RxEvent, is available to all U.S. prescribers via integration with EHR platforms and other online services, including directly at www.RxEvent.org.

According to the statement, more than 90 percent of adverse drug event reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) come from pharmaceutical manufacturers who receive them initially from physicians and other providers. Manufacturers then attempt to investigate the reports, notifying the FDA when appropriate. Studies show, however, that inefficient reporting processes have resulted in as few as 10 percent of adverse drug events actually getting reported to the FDA.

“RxEvent was designed to improve the convenience of adverse-event reporting for physicians, the cost-efficiency for manufacturers, and the quality of information ultimately reported to the FDA,” PDR Network C.E.O. Edward Fotsch, M.D., said in the statement.

The statement also quotes Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, as saying, “Drug safety requires a robust mechanism to identify, route, investigate and report adverse drug events. Integration of adverse-event reporting into EHR systems places this service at the prescriber’s fingertips, adding to convenience and ultimately improved drug safety.”