FDA and Wellpoint team up to launch drug surveillance system
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
April 16, 2008
The largest insurer in the U.S. is joining forces with the Food and Drug Administration to form a comprehensive drug surveillance system, reports The Wall Street Journal. Wellpoint will scan its database of 35 million customers periodically to search for spikes in medical problems over the past year. The FDA plans to follow this model to track medication issues throughout the country, using insurer information.
The aim for this system is to detect any medications that may be causing patients' problems. Analyzing claims and pharmacy data of its customers will enable Wellpoint to gain real-time knowledge of any patterns.
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