Contacting the Complaint Department about Prescription Drugs
By Andy Alt / Mental Dimensions
Jul 17, 2008 – On June 26th, 2008, I wrote about addiction and SSRI medication in response to a TIME magazine article. (I’ve recently been corrected, and informed that addiction is the wrong term in the case of SSRI medication; the medical community prefers physical dependence, but my American Heritage dictionary made no distinction between the two.)
The Minnesota State Attorney General’s office was one of the destinations of my letter. Today I received a response. The first paragraph of their reply paraphrased what I had written. The second paragraph has a bit more substance.
First, I appreciate your concern for our combat veterans. The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has exclusive authority to regulate prescription medications and to approve a drug for marketing after determining the drug’s benefits outweigh its risks. Consumers may report to the FDA any adverse reactions or other problems with products the agency regulates, including prescription drugs. To report your experience with prescription medications to the FDA, you may submit an online reporting form, at the website https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/. I am also enclosing a written form that you can complete and submit to the FDA at the following address:
Medwatch FDA Safety Information
and Adverse Event Reporting Program
Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20852-9787
Second, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice is the State agency that licenses physicians and regulates the practice of medicine in the State of Minnesota. The Board can take enforcement action against a physician for violation of applicable statutes or rules. If you believe a particular physician acted inappropriately in promoting the use of a prescription drug, you may report that matter to the Board at the following address:
Robert Leach, Executive Director
Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
2829 University Avenue SE, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55414-3246
(612) 617-2130
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