Note to editors - Health Product InfoWatch

OTTAWA, Jan. 29, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, Health Canada released the inaugural edition of the Health Product InfoWatch, a new monthly publication that will make health product safety information easier to find and use for health professionals.

The Health Product InfoWatch expands on and replaces the longstanding quarterly Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter (CARN). It continues the 24-year CARN tradition of providing credible information on potential safety issues detected through the review of case reports submitted to Health Canada and other sources of information, but it will be published more frequently and will have an improved format that allows for a broader range of safety information, to meet the changing information needs of healthcare professionals.

The updated format responds to feedback from the health community to provide a more reader-friendly format and easy centralized access to Health Canada's latest health product updates, including a recap of health product advisories and summary safety reviews. This first edition also includes an article on the anticancer drug cisplatin and a possible association with blood clots.

This publication will be of interest to health journalists, medical publications and others. It is available on Health Canada's website. Subscribe now to receive it regularly by e-mail or RSS, or follow @HealthCanada on Twitter.

Health Canada is committed to helping Canadians make informed health and safety decisions for themselves and their families. Under the Regulatory Transparency and Openness Framework, the Department is making more information available and easier to access than ever before.

SOURCE Health Canada

Media Inquiries: Media Relations, Health Canada, [phone]; Renseignements aux médias : Relations avec les médias, Santé Canada, [phone]