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Virgin Islanders told to report medicine side-effects, reactions

-as territory marks ‘med safety week’ November 7-13, 2022
November 12th, 2022 | Tags: Medicine Med Week 2022 Virgin Islands tablets pills
The Virgin Islands (VI) Ministry of Health and Social Development is encouraging persons to report suspected side effects of medicines as the VI joins over 80 countries in observing med safety week from November 7 to 13, 2022. Photo: Internet Source
Chief of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs. Gracia Wheatley-Smith said the week’s focus will centre around the promotion of pharmacovigilance and reporting. Photo: GIS
Chief of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs. Gracia Wheatley-Smith said the week’s focus will centre around the promotion of pharmacovigilance and reporting. Photo: GIS
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – The Virgin Islands (VI) Ministry of Health and Social Development is encouraging persons to report suspected side effects of medicines as the VI joins over 80 countries in observing med safety week from November 7 to 13, 2022.

Chief of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs. Gracia Wheatley-Smith said the week’s focus will centre around the promotion of pharmacovigilance and reporting.

Mrs. Wheatley-Smith said medicines help but they can also harm, therefore, it is important that all users of pharmaceuticals monitor themselves closely when using prescription medicines and report any experienced side or adverse reactions.

She also noted that regulators operate systems to detect and analyse reported side effects and use this information to implement actions that can prevent harm to future patients. 

The Chief of Drugs said a side effect is ‘any unintended effect of a pharmaceutical related to the pharmacological properties of the drug’ and an adverse drug reaction (ADR) is ‘a response to a medicine which is harmful, very unpleasant and unintended, and which occurs at doses normally used in man’.

Side effects can be reported via email or telephone 

The community is urged to report any side effect or ADR to the Chief of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Services via telephone at 468-9850 or email at grwheatley-smith@gov.vg.

“These experiences, Mrs. Wheatley-Smith said can be fatal, life-threatening, permanently and significantly disabling, may require a hospital visit or may prolong hospitalization, can cause congenital anomaly and may require intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage.

According to the Chief of Drugs, reporting side effects and ADRs help to improve the safety of medicines for all users and in some cases can result in better-tailored prescribing advice by doctors.

“By reporting side effects and ADRs patients will be actively participating in identifying emerging safety issues with medicines, so that the ministry can take actions when necessary and protect you and others from harm,” Mrs. Wheatley-Smith said.

15 Responses to “Virgin Islanders told to report medicine side-effects, reactions”

  • asking for a friend (12/11/2022, 12:48) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    And what will they do?
    • @asking (12/11/2022, 14:38) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
      They’ll give you more pills that have more side effects, it’s a business, if they cure you that’s a customer lost.
      • NezRez (13/11/2022, 01:16) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
        Why did the COVID updates stop just because they were transferred to a different position? Did COVID miraculously go away with the changing of the guards? If so, that means it was a farce this entire time. Changing positions or not, we must still be informed about health issues on these islands.
  • Can I sue? (12/11/2022, 13:52) Like (24) Dislike (2) Reply
    Lord knows I too shame to come in but my wife tell me I should. After my booster I now need a boost to get up, I’m taking pills I never had to take. My wife was laughing at first but now she saying if I don’t come in she’ll leave me. She did tell me leave the vax alone but I trusted the science, now I got to trust these pills
    • @can I sue (12/11/2022, 14:08) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
      Your not alone…
    • Mix reactions (12/11/2022, 14:22) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
      The i also have falling from the vaxx and can't get up. Now dependant on i&i tongue. Send help.
      • @Mix reactions (12/11/2022, 15:19) Like (3) Dislike (13) Reply
        Your S**t was falling and fell way before the vaxx. You know you men in the BVI start falling when you hit 30 or even younger than that. Can you image the ones 50 and older? YEECH!
  • @Can I sue? (12/11/2022, 14:01) Like (2) Dislike (11) Reply
    And you are proven to be a damn LIAR. AFTER YOUR BOOSTER YOU NOW NEED A BOOST TO GET UP. PERHAPS IT IS THE POISON BUSH THAT YOU CALL BUSH TEA IS THE PROBLEM.
  • TMZ (12/11/2022, 15:32) Like (2) Dislike (15) Reply
    Stop blaming the vaxx for y’all falling problems. Help? Simply find a ant hole and have some ant therapy and your falling will stand at full attention. Lol, you poor men, that is one of your curse. HELPPPPPPP, IV’E FALLEN/FALLING AND CAN’T GET BACK UPPPPP. ????????????????????????????????????.
    • @TMZ (12/11/2022, 18:59) Like (1) Dislike (3) Reply
      Lmaooooooooo, good Saturday night laugh, but facts. I call it the saggy balloon syndrome.
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands. (12/11/2022, 16:29) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    Necessary topic issue, but man made drugs have side effects. Because of the many health problems worldwide, they are needed to help fight against various decease that generally caused imminent death. Many food item that we daily buy from food stores, markets etc., also cause side effects.
    Yes, we should report, but who will pay the cost of those that are affected by the side effects of drugs.
    Honestly I don't know who will be will to pay. Do you know?
  • Really (12/11/2022, 17:42) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    The worst one of all is the mRNA/RNA COVID 19 vaccine,so why is that not the First one there. It causes stroke, heart attack,blood clots, paralyze on one side of the body, speech problems, forget alot, can't Smell, taste, feeling the devil, and the list has many many more side effects. I bet they will never put it one the shelf
  • too much (12/11/2022, 20:19) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    clot shot, equals heart attack, young people fallin down dead all over the place, CDC own finding show death rates way up for 18 to 45 year olds, after vax.
  • Unvaxxed (12/11/2022, 20:35) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    THE VACCINE SIDE EFFECT IS DEATH SO THEY WONT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLAIN
  • rough customer (12/11/2022, 20:39) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    WE CANT EVEN GET A COVID UPDATE/COUNT FROM THE MINISTER/MINISTRY


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