Reactions

Drug therapy is one of the cornerstones ofmodern medicine. Appropriate use of med-ication provides physicians with the ability to cure many infectious diseases and to control many other diseases.1 Drug therapy, however, does have associated problems, including the escalating cost of drugs. Another major prob-lem, and one that confronts primary care physi-cians on a daily basis, is the risk of adverse drug reactions. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are both com-mon and important. It is estimated that 5 % of all patients suffer an ADR, and that ADRs account for 5 % to 10 % of all hospital admissions.2 ADRs have been named as one of the top six causes of death in Canada and the United States, and the economic cost of ADRs runs into the billions.2,