APRIL archive

This collection is currently uncatalogued. The following is a temporary description that may change when detailed cataloguing takes place in future.

Organisational records of APRIL (Adverse Psychiatric Reactions Information Link), a UK charity founded in 1998 to provide information about and raise awareness of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to prescribed medications and withdrawal symptoms, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, agitation, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, or violence towards others.

The archive includes:

- APRIL annual reports and progress reports,
- APRIL Trustee meeting papers and correspondence,
- APRIL workshop and conference papers,
- Papers of meetings attended by Millie Kieve relating to ADRs, medication safety, patient information and Yellow Card reporting,
- Subject files organised by medication (e.g. Dianette, Roaccutane), medication class/type (e.g. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs), antidepressants, antibiotics), or topic (e.g. coroners, dementia, suicide). These files generally contain collated articles and information resources (often website printouts), handwritten notes, correspondence and some personal testimonies.
- Personal testimonies sent to APRIL regards individuals’ experiences of adverse drug reactions and withdrawal effects,
- Papers relating to Advisory Group to the Evaluation of Yellow Card Patient Reporting, chaired by Millie Kieve,
- Correspondence with medical standards and safety organisations including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the General Medical Council (GMC), and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA),
- Papers relating to a BBC Panorama programme on Seroxat,
- Papers relating to ‘Cruise to Hell’, a spoken word performance by Millie Kieve, based on her experience of her daughter, Karen’s, adverse reaction to medications and subsequent death in 1995 whilst suffering from iatrogenic (treatment-induced) poor mental and physical health.

1990s-2020s

14 boxes

APRIL (Adverse Psychiatric Reactions Information Link) is a UK charity founded in 1998 by Millie Kieve to provide information about and raise awareness of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to prescribed medications and withdrawal symptoms.

Millie set up the charity following the death of her daughter, Karen, in August 1995, who was suffering from treatment-induced poor mental and physical health following adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to a range of prescribed medications.

Millie subsequently began to research and collate information on ADRs, withdrawal effects and the pharmaceutical industry before founding APRIL in 1998. The charity aimed to provide information on medications and their potential adverse effects to support other patients and families and to improve awareness around drug safety. APRIL’s activities include campaigning and lobbying for safer prescribing and greater consideration of ADR risks, improving medical information and education, and disseminating information and guidance to patients, healthcare professionals and organisations.

Transferred to Wellcome (where owned by APRIL).

This collection is currently uncatalogued and cannot be ordered online. Requests to view uncatalogued material are considered on a case by case basis. Please contact collections@wellcomecollection.org for more details.