Adverse drug reactions: a hospital pharmacy-based reporting scheme

A pharmacy-based adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting scheme, using pharmacists, nurses and medical practitioners as initiators of reports, was set up at the end of 1984 in the Royal Liverpool Hospital in order to encourage reporting. New reports were inspected at weekly intervals by a staff pharmacist, and a clinical pharmacologist. Reports were forwarded to the Committee on Safety of Medicines if the reaction was considered to be serious by the clinicians, or the ADR team or involved 'black triangle' drugs. The total number of ADR reports was increased eightfold by the introduction of the scheme (from 14 in 1984 to 76, 102 and 94 in 1985, 1986 and 1987 respectively), and this rate of reporting has been sustained.