Medications Without Harm?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adverse drug reaction (ADR) as a response to a medicine which is noxious and unintended, and which occurs at doses normally used in man for prophylaxis, diagnosis, or therapy. ADRs can vary from a common mild side effect to a more severe anaphylaxis reaction. ADRs are considered one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in healthcare and, therefore, are considered an important outcome indicator in healthcare research. In some countries, the percentage of patients admitted to hospital due to ADR is reported at 12.8%.3 A study in Sweden found that 3% of all deaths are due to ADR.4 In addition, ADRs have a high impact on healthcare resources as services must be available to manage any ADR-related complications