Side effects are a social problem
Around 200,000 people die in Europe every year as a result of side effects - a Munich-based startup wants to change that. Via the online platform Nebenwirkungen.eu, people can find out about the side effects of medicines and report their own suspected case quickly, easily and centrally.
The figures regarding side effects are alarming: six million people in Germany show problems after taking medication. But because the reporting process is currently very cumbersome, only about 28,000 cases are reported each year.
"Side effects are a big social problem. Reports from patients are very important to improve drug safety," says founder Friderike Bruchmann. "The earlier and more frequently side effects are reported, the better and more targeted medications can be prescribed and further side effects can be avoided."
A major advantage of the platform: Nebenwirkungen.eu enables people with side effects to report them to the respective manufacturer simply, quickly and pseudonymously, i.e. without passing on personally identifiable data, and to find out about side effects that are already known. At the same time, pharmaceutical manufacturers can ask patients queries via the platform.
"Here, we act as a kind of firewall between the patient and the manufacturer to ensure patient identity protection," Bruchmann said. "Our goal is to facilitate the direct exchange of information on adverse drug reactions between the patient, the physician and the
pharmaceutical manufacturers, thereby significantly enhancing drug safety for all stakeholders."
The service of www.nebenwirkungen.eu is completely free of charge for the user.
