ADVERSE DRUG REACTION

An 'adverse drug reaction' (abbreviated 'ADR') is an expression that describes the unwanted, negative consequences associated with the use of given medications. An ADR is a particular type of adverse effect. The meaning of this expression differs from the meaning of "side effect", as this last expression might also imply that the effects can be beneficial. The study of ADRs is the concern of the field known as ''pharmacovigilance''.

Contents

Types of ADRs

Monitoring bodies

See also

Types of ADRs

ADRs are routinely classified according to their

★ Type A: pharmacologically predictable

★ Type B: bizarre and unpredictable (or idiosyncratic)

★ Type C: arising from chronic use

★ Type D: delayed reaction

★ Type E: end of dose reaction

★ Type F: failure of therapy
Types A and B were proposed in the 1970s,^[1] and the other types were proposed subsequently when the first two proved insufficient to classify ADRs.^[2]

Monitoring bodies

Many countries have official bodies that monitor drug safety and reactions. On an international level, the WHO runs the Uppsala Monitoring Centre, and the European Union runs the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for monitoring post-marketing studies.

See also

★ EudraVigilance (European Union)

★ Paradoxical reaction

★ Polypharmacy

★ Toxicology

★ ''The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics''

★ Yellow Card Scheme (UK)