The Food and Drug Administration has announced that it "is now making it easier and faster for health care professionals and patients to get the most up-to-date drug safety information on the more than 18,000 drugs available on our website. Our improved Drug Safety Labeling Changes Program enables FDA to post the latest safety information about a medicine almost at the same time we approve a change, as opposed to once a month." Also available at that web address is other basic information about the drug — generic equivalents (if any), FDA reviews during the approval process, etc.
In addition, the FDA is reminding patients that "[s]afety information can change multiple times over the lifetime of a drug as FDA learns about new risks, interactions with other medications and side effects. After we become aware of new safety information, changes to the drug product labeling may be required. The public can [now] access this information … in a searchable database."
