Drug Reactions: Deaths and serious problems triple in 8 years
13 September 2007
The annual rates of serious adverse reactions and deaths from a prescribed
drug have almost tripled since 1998.
Just 51 drugs - including painkillers and immune system-modifying agents -
were responsible for the vast majority of reactions, new figures reveal.
In 2005 - the most recent year when figures have been made available -
15,107 people in America died as the result of taking a prescription drug,
while 89,842 people suffered a serious adverse reaction, which resulted in
disability, hospital care or a birth defect.
These reactions - all reported to America's drug regulator, the Food and
Drug Administration - represent an increase of 2.7 times on figures produced
in 1998.
Overall, the FDA received reports of 467,809 deaths and serious adverse
reactions between 1998 and 2005. This is said to be 5 to 10% of all actual
serious adverse reactions.
(Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007; 167: 1752-9).
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