The Drug Safety & Alerts department of the Saudi FDA intends to organize a series of awareness and educational workshops targeting Health specialists including doctors, pharmacists and nurses to introduce them to the department’s role . The workshops will be held in several hospitals in Riyadh, at the first stage, and then will be generalized at the Kingdom’s level. A number of workshops are scheduled, in coordination with drug alerts coordinators in major hospitals, and are approved by Health Professions Authority, comprising three - hour educational sessions, as follows: Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Humanitarian City, Monday 25/01/1431 AH, corresponding to 11/01/2010 G. King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital on 19/02/1431AH, corresponding to 03/03/2010 G. Al Amal Psychiatric Health Complex on 25/02/1431 AH corresponding to 09/02/2010 G and Riyadh Military Hospital on 06/03/1431 AH corresponding to 20/02/2010 G. The workshops consist of introductory lectures of drug side- effects and their impact on health and economy and the drug safety & alert procedures to improve the public health. The workshops will also cover the various means of reporting drug side-effects and the problems related to drug quality.
Dr. Ghazi bin Saleh Saeed , director of drug safety and alerts department, has encouraged the said hospitals staff to attend and participate in these workshops. He has also pointed out that the department is willing to conduct similar workshops with other interested hospitals after prior coordination with his department.