pharma.be and APB defend drug safety

Belgium's research-based drug industry representative body, pharma.be, and the Belgian Pharmaceutical Association (APB) - a pharmacists' group - have united to defend the sector against media claims that unsafe or ineffective medicines are being sold to the public. The allegations in Le Soir's magazine supplement suggested that "hundreds" of over-the-counter or prescription-only drugs that are listed by the Belgian Pharmaco-therapeutic Information Center (CBIP) have an unfavorable risk/ benefit performance or are not significantly efficaceous.

Physicians must be allowed to exercise their judgement

Olivier Remels, the pharma.be's spokesman, said that the CBIP's assessments "are general and cannot draw out the particular circumstances of each patient faced with his or her physician. The latter's personal judgement regarding the patient and his or her responses to each medicine must be primary." The APB issued a supporting statement, noting that any drug which has been registered and given a marketing authorization must have demonstrated its efficacy and safety.