- APRIL Charity

Adverse side effects of medicines and anaesthetics also called adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or iatrogenic illness, is a major public health problem. Admissions to UK hospitals due to ADRs increased by 78% in ten years to 2009. A remarkable conference to discuss the problems held in 2008, was organised by APRIL charity (Adverse Psychiatric Reactions Information Link. This video clip is the end of the conference and features a panel of most of the speakers and questions and answers from the audience. The session is chaired by Dr Joanna Moncrieff, psychiatrist, author of 'The Myth of the Chemical Cure' and member of the Critical Psychiatry Group who are concerned about over use of psychiatric mediciation. The Conference final talk and summing up on this clip is by Dr Andrew Herxheimer. Andrew HERXHEIMER, clinical pharmacologist, spent most of his career teaching clinical pharmacology, most recently at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School. For 30 years he edited Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, published by the Consumers’ Association. Since 1992 Andrew worked in the Cochrane Collaboration and is now Emeritus Fellow of the UK Cochrane Centre in Oxford. Andrew is co-author of the first published critical appraisal of the role of spontaneous ADR reports (‘yellow cards’) in monitoring the safety of marketed medicines. He is the co-founder of DIPEx, a web-based health resource Web site: dipex.org Title Andrew Herxheimer summing up proceedings of the day of presentation: The individual talks are on the Vimeo and APRIL web sites, vimeo.com and april.org.uk There are 10 talks by Professors, academics who are experts in the field and two by bereaved mothers. List of speakers: *Professor Munir Pirmohamed the UK's only Chair of Pharmacogentics. *Dr Anita Holdcroft anaesthetist with a special interest in gender differences in adverse reactions. Dr Holdcroft analysed the Yellow Card Reports of ADRs relating to certain drugs commonly used during or after surgery. *Nigel Meadows Manchester City Coroner who has some shocking comments on the way inquests can be a hit or miss kind of investigation with no particular investigation into medication ADRs prior to death. *Professor Heather Ashton a renowned expert in Benzodiazepine addiction and withdrawal and the effects of all kinds of drugs on the human brain. *Charles Medawar renowned researcher into ADRs and addiction/dependency in particular related to Benzos and SSRI and similar antidepressants. *D Ben Goldacre, author of 'Bad Science' a clinician and journalist, explains some of the ways clinical trials can be skewed to favour drugs and rigged in an effort to promote sales, with little attention to patient safety. *Claire Milford-Haven who bravely relates events leading to her son Jame's tragic suicide following surgery. *Millie Kieve who founded the charity APRIL in order to create awareness and reduce avoidable deaths following daughter Karen's accidental fall from window while suffering dizziness, physical and psychological deterioration due iatrogenic illness. Fuller details on the APRIL web site. *Professor David Healy researched and spoke of the reality that suicide may be triggered by effects of SSRI and similar antidepressants. Professor Healy explains how data from trials of drugs licensed as safe may not be trustworthy. *Professor Simon Maxwell Clinical Pharmacologist who teaches medical students at Edinburgh University, is passionate about the need to reintroduce his subject into the medical curriculum. Chairs of sessions were: *Dr Dr Hugh Middleton, Psychiatrist, academic Nottingham University. *Peter Walsh CEO of AvMA formerly Victims of Medical Accidents. *Dr Joanna Moncrieff, Psychiatrist. *Dr John Halliday Clinical Pharmacologist academic at Guy's, St Thomas' and King's College London. * Dr Andrew Herxheimer, leading expert on ADRs and former editor of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, Closes the conference. Edinburgh medical students are being directed to the conference talks and we hope All the Universities will follow suite as there is a serious paucity of education about ADRs currently. The words of our speakers will contribute to patient safety if taken on board by all health professionals.

Please help APRIL continue

tweet or follow @APRIL_charity

Please donate £10 or $15 if possible, or less (or more!) - via the button on the left of screen, to help us continue our work. No one in APRIL is paid a salary! but we have much more to do in areas including SUICIDE PREVENTION # FAILINGS IN MEDICAL EDUCATION # LACK OF SUPPORT FOR SAFE WITHDRAWAL# EDUCATING CORONERS & POLICE # PREVENTING POLYPHARMACY DUE TO UNRECOGNISED ADR (Adverse drug reaction)

We have successfully instigated inclusion of adverse reactions and withdrawal effects in Suicide Prevention Strategies in England. The inclusion of depression as a side-effect of Dianette (Diane-35) being included on the patient information. We have increased the level of patient reporting to the regulator. We are supporting efforts to include pharmacology back into the medical curriculum.
The work must go on, as we are the only charity creating awareness of psychiatric adverse reactions (ADRs) to all kinds of medication & anaesthetics.

APRIL's 3rd CONFERENCE - Films of CONFERENCE talks include: Coming Off Medicines with Dr David Healy and Professor Heather Ashton & eminent speakers in our panel discussion - Read Biographies of speakers and information about our 2001 2004 & 2008 conferences

tweet or follow @APRIL_charity

The work must go on, as we are the only charity creating awareness of psychiatric adverse reactions (ADRs) to all kinds of medication & anaesthetics.