Briefs

April 15, 2008. In an unexpected move, WellPoint, Inc. -- the nation’s largest insurer -- and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be working together to launch the first real-time drug surveillance system. Beginning in early 2009, WellPoint will scan the medical information of over half of its 35 million members to find hidden patterns or medical problems that might be linked to medications or drug combinations. Because WellPoint has been charting medical claims and prescription drug use among their vast member base, they are uniquely positioned to embark on this drug safety program with the FDA.

The drug-safety monitoring system used by the FDA is considered by many to be spotty, slow, and passive and is one major reason why the FDA has been under constant fire for failing to protect consumers against the unintended harmful effects of drugs. The agency receives much of its data from stressed physicians and large pharmaceuticals and captures less than 10% of bad reactions, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

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In addition to its huge database of medical and pharmacy claims data, WellPoint will work with data from the lab test results and medical-chart information of at least 20 million members. This information -- according to its executives -- should enable early intervention in possible drug-linked medical problems. WellPoint confirmed that during the medical data mining process, patient identities would remain anonymous.

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