Project about depression - please contribute to survey

Questions about depression?

We at APRIL have been trying for years to persuade doctors and official bodies to ensure people who are suffering adverse reaction to everyday medicines or anaesthetics or having problems related to withdrawal from prescribed drugs,  are heard and helped.

 Adverse drug reactions (ADRs)  and withdrawal effects can be depression, anxiety, insomnia, psychosis, self harming, or suicidal thoughts and actions.

Please contribute to the survey at www.depressionarq.org 

This is part of a major project about depression research. The aim is to inform research and provide a strong connection between researchers and the needs of patients.

Unfortunately if patient groups involved in this research have received substantial funding from the pharmaceutical industry, there will be attempts to cover up the extent of depression and suicides linked to medication adverse effects or withdrawal problems. It is therefore very important for those with experience of iatrogenic (treatment induced) depression or related conditions to express their views.

As difficult as it may be for those bereaved by iatrogenic related death of a loved one, we do appeal for you to please make your views known.

The survey gives patients, carers and clinicians a chance to let the organisers know what questions need to be answered. Questions can be about any aspect of depression; prevention, causes, diagnosis,
treatments or care.

Visit www.depressionarq.org to take part

Adverse drug reactions: is the patient voice loud enough? London conference June 24

WHO’S LISTENING TO PATIENTS?

One of the biggest under-reported health problems is adverse drug reactions
(ADRs), the harmful effects of the medicines our doctors prescribe for us.
These can range from unpleasant rashes all the way to suicide.

In 2008, the European Commission estimated that ADRS kill 197,000 citizens
of EU member states, at a cost of€79 billion. That same year, the
centre-left think-tank Compass reckoned that the NHS alone was spending
nearly £2 billion a year treating ADRs.

And for every patient affected, there is a family in crisis, thousands of
working days lost, collapsed businesses and relationship break-ups.

Drug safety is taken very seriously by drug regulators, but there is a
crucial gap in the chain. Does anyone really listen to the one person who is
really expert: the patient who is taking the drug? What happens when
patients do get a chance to report their own symptoms directly? And do we
really know how important the patient voice could be in improving drug
safety?

Come to a special one-day conference on Friday 24 June which will address
these issues – and brainstorm suggestions about how to make the future
safer.

ADRS: Is the patient voice loud enough?
The first International Conference on patient reporting of suspected Adverse
Drug Reactions

Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

PAY ONLY £20 AT THE DOOR ON THE DAY!


Among the speakers will be:
* real patients, telling their own stories
* top UK academics, talking about the first study of direct patient
reporting (http://www.hta.ac.uk/fullmono/mon1520.pdf
)
* government regulators explaining their problems and concerns
* open panel discussion: what can health professionals learn from
patients?

REGISTER/COFFEE 9.30
For full programme see: www.primm.eu.com

Organised by PRIMM/Drug Safety Research Unit

SENT OUT BY MILLIE KIEVE – organizer of the patient experience section of
the conference. If you would like to speak about your own experience, please
contact me asap