03 Nov SAHPRA calls on patients to report medicine side effects

Pretoria, 4 November 2026 – The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is joining the global #MedSafetyWeek campaign, running from 2 – 8 November. This campaign aims to encourage patients and healthcare professionals to report suspected side effects of medicines, supporting ongoing medicine-safety monitoring and helping protect patients from potential harm.

Medicines save lives and improve health, but they may also cause side effects. These can occur soon after starting a medicine or develop gradually, including after long-term use. Some are noticeable, while others may only be detected through medical tests.

To mark the #MedSafetyWeek, SAHPRA will launch a social media campaign which seeks to encourage the public to report suspected side effects through the Med Safety App or with their healthcare professional, reinforcing the importance of reporting in protecting patients and strengthening medicine safety oversight by SAHPRA.

Complementing this initiative, SAHPRA has published a digital video encouraging families to report adverse drug reactions (ADRs), have open conversations about side effects and report suspected reactions to SAHPRA.

“Medicine safety is a shared responsibility. When patients and healthcare professionals report suspected side effects, they contribute to a better understanding of how medicines affect people in real-world settings. This information is essential to strengthening medicine safety oversight and helping protect patients,” says Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, SAHPRA Chief Executive Officer.

Reports from patients and healthcare professionals provide important information that may help SAHPRA identify emerging safety concerns and take appropriate regulatory action where necessary. People do not need to be certain that a medicine caused their symptoms to report a suspected side effect.

Don’t ignore side effects. Report them.