The Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md, contracted with the Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, to conduct a project to increase reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions through physician education. Voluntary reporting, an important part of postmarketing surveillance that signals potential problems with marketed drugs, historically has been underused by physicians. After 2 years, there was a more than 17-fold increase in reports submitted directly from Rhode Island compared with the yearly average before initiation of the project. Increases in the total numbers of reports were paralleled by significant increases in the numbers of reports of severe reactions. Similar increases were not experienced nationally. Physicians in Rhode Island were surveyed before and 2 years after interventions began to determine changes in knowledge and attitudes about reporting of adverse drug reactions. Significant gains in knowledge and positive attitudes toward the reporting system occurred. We conclude that physicians can be stimulated to increase their reporting of suspected reactions, thereby improving the viability of the federal reporting system.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1990

Framework for the Rhode Island response to the injury problem.

Injuries are the fourth leading cause of death in Rhode Island as well as the US and are responsible for the greatest amount of premature death. Recent years have brought more national attention to the role of public health in injury prevention. The Rhode Island Department of Health has been involved in a variety of injury control research, programs and legislation. In 1989, the Injury Prevention Program was funded through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control to coordinate and implement injury control programs in the Department. Injury prevention priorities are set on the basis of mortality and morbidity data. An analysis of Rhode Island death certificate data from 1979 to 1988 reveals that motor vehicle crashes, suicides, falls, and homicides are the leading causes of injury deaths. Age patterns vary for each cause, but males predominate in all categories of injury deaths. Activities to reduce injuries are underway or planned. Physicians will play key roles in this effort.

Adolescent↗