Taking into account acute poisonings reported to poison control centres in the risk-benefit evaluation of buflomedil

Abstract

Buflomedil was marketed in 1976 in France as an arterial vasodilator. However, since 1981, severe and fatal poisonings were reported, earlier pointed out by the French poison control centres. Supported by the French toxicovigilance network and the poison control centre’s database, several studies performed in 1997, 2005, and 2008 alerted the national health authorities to undertake rapid decisions aiming at risk minimization. In addition, among these studies, the last two helped to evaluate the preventive measures. This article draws a parallel between the organization of the toxicovigilance network and the various stages of the risk evaluation in relation to buflomedil marketing.