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The Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter (CARN) provides factual information on serious or unexpected side effects or adverse reactions suspected of being associated with health products, such as prescription and non-prescription medications; natural health products; biologically derived products; and medical devices.
Latest Issue
To receive CARN electronically, subscribe to MedEffect e-Notice or to the CARN RSS Feed.
Volume 23 - Issue 3 - July 2013
In this issue:
- Oral fluoroquinolones and retinal detachment
- Adverse reaction and incident reporting-2012
- Summary of advisories
Production procedures for CARN
About the Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter
The goal of CARN is to raise awareness and provide facts and safety information about marketed health products and reported adverse reactions that are suspected of being associated with specific health products. It is published quarterly by Health Canada's Marketed Health Products Directorate and has existed since 1991. Statistics on adverse reaction reporting are also published annually in CARN.
CARN publishes information about adverse reactions before comprehensive benefit-risk evaluations and regulatory decisions are undertaken. It alerts health professionals and consumers to advisories and recalls; the information is not meant to make recommendations for an individual's medical care. Patients concerned about information in the newsletter that relates to specific health products should continue their health product therapies and consult with their health professional.
CARN also alerts readers to signals - preliminary indications of product - related safety issues detected during reviews of suspected adverse reaction cases, which are reported to Health Canada through the Canada Vigilance Program and the Medical Device Problem Reporting Program. A signal is not proof that an adverse reaction is associated with a particular health product, but it triggers the need to investigate further. Signals are carefully evaluated to confirm or disprove a potential association.
The identification of an issue in CARN can, and is sometimes intended to, lead to an increase in adverse reaction reporting. This is referred to as "stimulated reporting", which can also occur after issuance of a risk communication or media attention to a particular safety issue.
Subscribe to CARN
When you subscribe to MedEffect e-Notice or to the CARN RSS Feed, you automatically subscribe to CARN. You will receive a message 4 times a year (in January, April, July and October) with a link to the latest issue. The electronic versions are currently sent to over 23,700 of MedEffect e-Notice subscribers as well as to CARN RSS feed subscribers.
Index of Previously Published Issues of CARN
Visit the Index of Published Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletters to read published issues of the newsletter.
NOTE: The information provided in CARN concerning the safety of health products is distinct from the health product regulatory process and from the medical care of individual patients. CARN is not intended for use in regulatory decision-making actions concerning health product safety. Decisions on health product therapy for individual patients fall under the "practice of medicine," which is regulated by provincial and territorial governments. Patients concerned about health product information reported in CARN should consult with their health professional.
Contact the CARN Editorial Team
For comments and suggestions, contact the CARN Editorial Team.
