Adverse Drug Events Reporting

Although prescription drugs must meet certain safety standards before they are approved for the market, unexpected adverse drug events (ADEs) can occur after a drug is used in a larger population over a longer period of time. Voluntary reporting of ADEs is thus a vital component of drug safety. Unfortunately, many ADEs are never reported, often because they were not recognized as safety problems, or because a healthcare professional was unfamiliar with the reporting process. In order to address this important public health problem, Medscape developed this collection of educational programs, news articles, and tools to promote better understanding of ADEs and to facilitate more regular and complete ADE reports.