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Objective: To assess the awareness of medical practitioners in the Netherlands regarding the national voluntary reporting scheme for adverse reactions to drugs, and the reasons for non-reporting., Design: Questionnaire., Setting: Netherlands Centre for Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Drugs., Method: A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 500 practitioners aged under 65 in the database of the Dutch Inspectorate for Health Care., Results: Of the 500 questionnaires 265 (53%) were returned and completely filled in. Sixty-seven (25%) practitioners had reported a suspected adverse reaction on one or several occasions during their practising career; 229 (86%) would report a serious adverse reaction, 190 (72%) an unknown one, 185 (70%) an adverse reaction to a new product, and 83 (31%) a proven adverse reaction. Almost 20% said they had had difficulties reporting because they could not find the telephone number or reporting forms. Forty practitioners (15%) claimed that they were too busy to report adverse reactions. Almost all practitioners (94%) were aware of the fact that the reporting scheme serves the early detection of unknown adverse reactions.

Since 1972, the Netherlands Centre for Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Drugs has received 22 reports of skin reactions attributed to use of bromhexine. The reports concerned II men and II women. The ages ranged between 5 months and 88 years. The skin reactions occurred within one to 30 days after starting the use of bromhexine. Most skin reactions consisted of generalised urticaria. Other reports concerned once an angioedema and once an anaphylactic reaction. Most patients recovered completely after cessation of bromhexine without further treatment.