[The need for 'postmarketing surveillance'].
Postmarketing surveillance of medicines includes two activities: pharmacovigilance and pharmaco-epidemiology. Despite the importance of postmarketing surveillance, too few surveillance studies are performed. The studies carried out by the pharmaceutical industry predominantly consist of 'seeding trials': offering prescribing physicians financial rewards if they prescribe a particular product, thus trying to change the prescription habits. The results of such trials are scientifically worthless. These activities cast a shadow on sincere postmarketing surveillance. A recent nationwide cohort study by the Inspectorate for Health Care on mortality in users of ibopamine demonstrates that Dutch medical doctors and pharmacists are very co-operative if further studying of a particular adverse reaction is warranted.
Stricker
B H
BH
Erasmus Universiteit, afd. Epidemiologie & Biostatistiek en Interne Geneeskunde, Rotterdam.
in 't Veld
B A
BA
Feenstra
J
J
D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D003846:Deoxyepinephrine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000009:adverse effects
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C023487:ibopamine; D003846:Deoxyepinephrine