It is not sufficient for the experts to be satisfied with the safety evidence for a given medicine. The public perception of the hazards associated with medicines is an equally important factor. How safe is safe enough? Which risks are acceptable? These are critical questions that providers of medicines need to consider when communicating with patients and the general public. The pharmaceutical industry, governments and health-care providers have a duty to build public trust through effective communication of risk. This can only be achieved once the public mindset has been examined and fully understood.

Table 2 Communicating messages about medicine safety

Available methods for communicating messages about the safety of medicines are listed in Table 2. Medical journals and web sites maintained by national agencies are other methods of communication. The choice of method employed tends to depend on the urgency and seriousness of the issue in question.