What are the recommended guidelines for reporting adverse drug reactions in the UK?

Recommended guidelines for reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the United Kingdom:

• Health and social care practitioners should report all identified medicines-related patient safety incidents, including suspected adverse drug reactions, consistently and in a timely manner using local and national patient safety reporting systems to ensure patient safety is not compromised.
• Organisations should support a person-centred, 'fair blame' culture that encourages open and honest reporting and learning from medicines-related safety incidents, including ADRs.
• Practitioners should explain to patients and their carers how to identify and report medicines-related safety incidents, including ADRs.
• Robust and transparent organisational processes must be in place to identify, report, prioritise, investigate, and learn from medicines-related patient safety incidents, aligned with national systems such as the National Reporting and Learning System.
• Care home staff should report all suspected adverse effects from medicines promptly to the prescribing health professional or another appropriate health professional, record details in the resident’s care plan, and inform the supplying pharmacy if consent is given.
• Organisations should ensure that national medicines safety guidance, including patient safety alerts related to ADRs, are actioned within specified or locally agreed timeframes.

These guidelines emphasise timely, consistent reporting, patient and carer involvement, organisational support for a learning culture, and adherence to national reporting systems to improve medicines safety and outcomes.

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