Dangerous Drug Side Effects Increase

September 2007

Attention prescription drug users – a new study has shown evidence that now, more than ever, medication may come with serious side effects. Research shows that reports to Food and Drug Administration of adverse effects from prescription drugs shot up over 150 percent from 1998 to 2005.

Serious outcomes from prescribed medication, including both fatal and non-fatal events, peaked at 89,842 in 2005. That’s over 2 ½ times the 34,966 reports received in 1998. Of the 54,876 new reports, 87 percent of the cases were due to side effects not mentioned on the label. Reported deaths from medication saw an even bigger increase, rising 174 percent from 5,519 in 1998 to 15,107 in 2005.

Many researchers feel that this study is evidence of the severe flaws in the U.S. drug-safety evaluation program. So far in 2007, drugs such as Avandia and Actos have come under heavy criticism, while others such as Permax and Zelnorm have been pulled from the marketplace. Critics of this study feel that the increase in adverse side effects is due to better reporting procedures by both doctors and patients.