Adverse event reporting - online learning modules for health professionals

The TGA and NPS Medicinewise have worked together to create two interactive online learning modules designed to improve adverse event reporting by health professionals in relation to medicines, vaccines and medical devices.

The Safety through reporting modules

The two Safety through reporting modules are:

• Reporting adverse events with medicines and vaccines
• Reporting adverse events with medical devices.

They have been developed to increase health professionals' existing knowledge around reporting adverse events associated with therapeutic products. Some of the key features include:

• the importance of reporting adverse events
• sharing the responsibility of reporting
• how to build reporting into practice
• what happens to reports once they are submitted to the TGA.

Health professionals who complete the modules are eligible for continuing professional development points from the relevant accrediting health professional bodies.

The importance of adverse event reporting

Health professionals are among those best placed to provide high quality adverse event reports, given their expertise and direct contact with patients. These modules will help to support them in understanding when and how to report adverse events associated with therapeutic products, and how this contributes to the TGA's ongoing safety monitoring activities.

Adverse event reports underpin an essential part of the TGA's safety monitoring activities as they assist with early detection of potential safety problems and allow the TGA to manage any risks associated with medicines, vaccines and medical devices.