News > Adverse Drug Events: Important aspects consumers need to know
Adverse Drug Events: Important aspects consumers need to know
ADEs can be extremely dangerous and even life threatening. But what do we know about ADEs? Here is an article about an example of adverse drug events, showing how to avoid such incidents and what methods the FDA has to help prevent them.
What is an adverse drug event ?
Adverse drug event (ADE) occurs when a patient is harmed by the medicine prescribed which can result in medication error, adverse drug reaction and overdose.
So in nutshell, ADE occurs only when patients consume drugs regularly. In the US, nearly one-third adults consume medications every year and out of them many emergency visits to hospitals due to ADE.
Older adults are more likely to have ADE than younger adults as the consumption of medicine increases with age and we can consider ADE and age directly proportional.
Adverse drug events have been associated with the use of certain commercially available drugs which are used on a regular basis by patients. These drugs are not necessarily prescribed by physicians every time, but are often purchased by consumers on the Internet.
These drugs need regular monitoring by regular blood tests to prevent any problems associated with it. Example of some common drugs associated with ADE which require regular checkup are as follow:
● Blood thinners (warfarin)
● Diabetes medicines (insulin)
● Seizure medicines
● Heart medicines
● Pain relievers medicines
● Antibiotics
What is the difference between an adverse drug event and adverse drug reaction ?
The adverse drug reaction (ADR) is a term used to describe a range of adverse reactions that occur during the use of a drug at normal dose. Adverse drug reactions include sickness, injury, and death.
Adverse drug events are a serious health problem that can occur when drugs are used incorrectly or improperly. Adverse drug reactions are the result of the improper use of pharmaceuticals or biological products.
Adverse drug reactions are generally more common but are less severe. An adverse drug event is a rare, but potentially more severe than adverse reaction that can be caused by a pharmaceutical or biological drug.These events are associated with serious health problems, but they are not necessarily fatal.
What is an example of an adverse event?
The truth is, no one really knows how many ADEs occur in the United States each year. However, most experts believe that ADEs result in billions of dollars in medical costs, injuries, and deaths every year. ADEs are also very serious because they can present with significant or fatal side effects.
ADEs may come in many different forms, such as an allergic reaction, an accidental overdose, or a drug-related accident. Many of the ADE occur due to medication error, but most do not.The reason why ADEs are so serious is because they pose a significant threat to the lives of patients.
Individuals or organizations can report adverse reactions, quality problems, therapeutic inequivalence/failure, and product use errors with human medical products, including drugs, biologic products, medical devices, dietary supplements, infant formula, and cosmetics.
Submitting Adverse Drug Event Reports to FDA
● Anyone can report it online Voluntary on Medwatch FDA website
Source: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/
A Reporting can be done through our online reporting portal or by downloading, completing and then submitting FDA Form 3500 (Health Professional) or 3500B (Consumer/Patient) to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
● Call FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report
AReporting can be done through our online reporting portal or by downloading, completing and then submitting FDA Form 3500 (Health Professional) or 3500B (Consumer/Patient) to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
While this is not a crime, it is your duty as a consumer to become informed and protect yourself from the hazards associated with the use of these drugs.
If you believe you or someone you love were the victim of adverse drug events like in the case of e-cigarette lawsuit, contact Lawyer4Help. Our legal team will review your situation for free with no consultation fee.