Is it unethical to avoid using all available information to monitor drug safety?
Adverse effects of health care have recently been in the news, from the worrying unexpected cardiovascular risks associated with use of the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) to reports of high percentages of complications following routine surgery.1,2 As medical care becomes more complex, sophisticated and expensive in Australia, it is paramount that we have the best systems in place to monitor its impact and evaluate its safety and efficacy.
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- 1 Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA.
- 2 Indiana University, Indianapolis, Ind, USA.
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