News
More than 1 800 illegal skin whitening agents were confiscated in seven shops in a coordinated action in Brussels. The vast majority are skin whitening agents containing corticosteroids which are very popular among the African community. The substances can cause severe side effects such as infections, scarring or adrenal gland insufficiency.
As announced, the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) is holding an online survey to collect information about the use of benzodiazepines and related substances for sleep disorders in the Belgian population. The survey starts today and will run for one month.
During its meeting of 10 – 13 February 2020, the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends restrictions in use of cyproterone due to meningioma risk.
A new law provides for additional measures to limit the unavailability of medicines. The main guidelines of the new law are a clarification of the supply obligation of pharmaceutical companies, the possibility to prohibit or restrict the export of unavailable medicines and the possibility for pharmacists to supply an alternative medicine under certain conditions.
Jean-Michel Dogné has been putting his expertise at the service of the FAMHP for many years. The Belgian expertise in vaccines is recognised worldwide with his recent appointment as a member of the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Despite the annual awareness campaigns conducted by the Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, the consumption of sleeping pills and sedatives at Belgian level remains a cause for concern. In order to collect concrete information on the use of some of these drugs in Belgium, the FAMHP will conduct a national online survey in February 2020.
Clamoxyl I.V.-I.M. is available again. The recommendations formulated by the FAMHP and the NIHDI for rational use by hospital pharmacists and physicians-specialists no longer apply. The marketing of Clamoxyl I.V.-I.M. and of Augmentin I.V. will eventually be definitively discontinued.
The EU-Innovation Network announces a pilot project for simultaneous national scientific advice (SNSA) to strengthen early regulatory support for innovation. The pilot project kicks off with developing a best practice model starting 1 February 2020.