FDA targets preventable harm from meds

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a "Safe Use" initiative Wednesday designed to reduce the likelihood of harm from medication use.

"Too many people suffer unnecessary injuries from avoidable medication misuse, errors and other problems," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said. "The FDA is launching the Safe Use Initiative to develop targeted solutions for reducing these injuries."

The FDA said millions of people are harmed every year from inappropriate medication use that frequently occurs as a result of incomplete access to information about a drug, a patient, or the patient's condition.

"Only through coordinated interventions across all sectors of the healthcare system can we substantially reduce preventable injuries from using medications," said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA also made public Wednesday its new guidance for companies manufacturing, marketing or distributing over-the-counter liquid medications packaged with dosage delivery devices such as calibrated cups, droppers, syringes and spoons.

Woodcock said accidental overdoses can be caused by dosage delivery devices that are inconsistent with labeled dosing instructions.

"Many accidental overdoses result from confusion about exactly how much of a drug to take," she said. "Better measuring devices will help patients, parents and other caregivers use the right amount of these medications -- the safest and most effective dose -- especially for children."