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Most of us want healthcare to be both patient-centric and evidence-based. But are those two goals compatible? Can we tailor healthcare to our unique circumstances­, while relying on the average statistical measurements that scientific evidence is based on? Emerging ideas in the philosophy of science are challenging a rigid reliance on evidence-based medicine and offering a more nuanced understanding of patient safety.

This episode is part of the Uppsala Reports Long Reads series – the most topical stories from UMC’s pharmacovigilance magazine, brought to you in audio format. Find the text version here.

Tune in to find out:

• What causal dispositions are
• Why pharmacovigilance would benefit from a new approach to causality
• How to promote trans-disciplinary approaches to medical inquiry

Want to know more?

Here are a few reading resources to get you started:

• The CauseHealth Risk and Safety project is bridging pharmacovigilance and philosophy of science
• Causal evidence and dispositions can improve our understanding of causality in medicine and public health
• Medical scientists and philosophers worldwide appeal to expand the notion of “evidence”
• Patient experiences can enhance the quality and safety of healthcare, say the authors of the Erice Call for Change

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We’re always looking for new topics and interesting voices. If you have an idea or any other feedback for the show, get in touch!

About UMC
Uppsala Monitoring Centre promotes safer use of medicines and vaccines for everyone everywhere. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.

Send a text message to the show!

Most women are prescribed some form of medication during their pregnancy. Yet we know very little about the safety of those medicines when they’re used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. New collaborative efforts are now underway to plug that knowledge gap.

This episode is part of the Uppsala Reports Long Reads series – the most topical stories from UMC’s pharmacovigilance magazine, brought to you in audio format. Find the text version here.

Tune in to find out:

• Why clinical trials often fail to include pregnant and breastfeeding women
• What the lack of safety information means for women who need medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• How new multi-disciplinary initiatives are planning to boost pharmacovigilance activities related to pregnancy and lactation

Want to know more?

Read how EUROmediCAT plans to evaluate the safety of medicines in pregnancy in relation to the risk of congenital anomalies. 

Find out how ConcePTION wants to help women make informed decisions about the medications they need before, during and after pregnancy.

Read about:

• Lareb’s survey of pregnancy-related pharmacovigilance activities
• the history of women’s involvement in clinical trials
• the ethical debate surrounding the inclusion of pregnant women in research

Got a story to share?
We’re always looking for new topics and interesting voices. If you have an idea or any other feedback for the show, get in touch!

About UMC
Uppsala Monitoring Centre promotes safer use of medicines and vaccines for everyone everywhere. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.

Send a text message to the show!

Fake medicines claim at least 200,000 lives every year, with the World Health Organization estimating that 1 in 10 medicines worldwide is now substandard or falsified. But with the market in illicit drugs worth up to $200 billion a year, and traffickers more likely to face a fine than jail time when they are caught, the financial incentives far outweigh the deterrents. So how do we put a stop to this deadly trade? Drug Safety Matters investigates with former Interpol officer and PMEDS program founder Aline Plançon.

Tune in to find out:

• How widespread and dangerous fake medicines are
• What makes pharmaceutical crime so successful
• What action is being taken to curb the problem
• How modern tracking technology can help
• What we can do to raise awareness

Want to know more?

• Read Aline Plançon’s book on fake medicines, Faux Médicaments: Un Crime Silencieux (in French).
• Find out how the World Health Organization is fighting falsified and substandard medicines in UMC’s magazine Uppsala Reports.
• Teach your children about falsified medicines with UMC’s comic book Annie & Mac’s Adventures: Lord Fake Strikes Again. It’s available in English and Spanish.
• Help raise awareness of the problem by joining the Fight the Fakes campaign.

Got a story to share?
We’re always looking for new topics and interesting voices. If you have an idea or any other feedback for the show, get in touch!

About UMC
Uppsala Monitoring Centre promotes safer use of medicines and vaccines for everyone everywhere. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.