In FOCUS March 2013, Antonio Addis discusses the inadequacies of information and communication in pharmacovigilance and also challenges us, ‘Do try and find someone asserting that information in pharmacovigilance is useless’. In FOCUS July 2013, Richard Smith talks about peoples’ perception of drug safety and ends, ‘My conclusion is that Britain—like most countries—is awash with drugs, and that although Britons are well aware that some drugs can be dangerous they are generally hazy on the ratio of benefits to risks.

It was recently published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology a systematic review of the literature that compares the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Zhang and his colleagues collected data from 4 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and 11 observational studies, for a total number of more than 4,000 patients. They concluded that the effectiveness of treatments is similar, but that ranibizumab is safer than bevacizumab .

Despite the use of phytotherapy is constantly increasing, consumers and health professionals often ignore important issues regarding possible interactions between herbs and drugs, their adverse effects or, simply, the ineffectiveness of many products. On the contrary, just because the use of natural health products is not well regulated, many herbal products are not adequately tested for their pharmacology and toxicology, especially when used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.