drugs
Overview of Adverse Drug Reactions
Prevalence of adverse drug reactions
Not surprisingly, adverse drug reactions are common. Most adverse drug reactions are relatively mild, and many disappear when the medication is stopped or the dose is changed. Some gradually subside as the body adjusts to the medication. Other adverse drug reactions are more serious and last longer. According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance Project (NEISS–CADES), there were an estimated 6 emergency department (ED) visits for medication harms per 1000 persons per year in the period from 2017 to 2019. About 39% of these visits resulted in hospitalization. In previous estimates in the United States, 3 to 7% of all hospital admissions were for treatment of adverse drug reactions. Adverse drug reactions occur during 10 to 20% of hospital admissions, and about 10 to 20% of these reactions are severe. These statistics do not include the number of adverse drug reactions that occur in people who live in nursing homes and other care facilities. Although the exact number of adverse drug reactions is not certain, they clearly represent a significant public health problem that is often preventable. According to the World Health Organization, fatal adverse drug reactions occur mainly in people older than 75 years of age. Prescription errors and inability or failure to take correctly prescribed medications as indicated both contribute to the incidence of ADRs. In the United States, 3 to 7% of all hospitalizations are for treatment of adverse drug reactions. 