To date, over 100 health professional organizations have joined FDA as Partners and work with MedWatch to increase awareness of, and participation in, postmarketing surveillance. Notifications like Safety Alerts are provided to the Partners as they are released, with the information in turn distributed by the Partners to their members. These are reserved for only the most serious and pressing adverse events. While the Physicians' Desk Reference contains official labeling for most drugs and can be reviewed periodically for changes, FDA is currently looking at other ways, including the Internet, by which new safety-related information can be made more readily available to health professionals. Despite all efforts taken to minimize the risks of retinal damage, retinal photic injuries from the light sources used in operating microscopes during cataract surgery and other intraocular procedures may occur.
Several factors appear to be important determinants of photic retinal injury.
FDA recommends several actions to reduce the risk of retinal photic injury and reminds physicians about the reporting requirements of the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990. Lindane is generally safe and effective when used according to the approved directions, but its overuse can be harmful. FDA has recommended labeling changes that encourage lindane's use only for patients who have either failed to respond to adequate doses of, or are intolerant of, other approved therapies. In addition, product labeling will advise health care providers and parents not to confuse prolonged itching with reinfestation. The label already warns parents that neurotoxicity is possible for certain patients, especially infants.