Page 23 - Pharmaquest issue 1 2020

ADVERSE REACTIONS TO
DRUGS (ADR)
Samikshya Chhetri
Batch 2017
It is a common misconception that
adverse drug reactions and side
effects are the same thing. Adverse
drug reactions are unintended
pharmacologic effects that occur when
a medication is administered correctly and occur in a few individuals and are
while a side effect is a secondary
unwanted effect that occurs due to
drug therapy.
Any drug may produce unwanted or
unexpected adverse reactions. The
unwanted or unintended effects of
a medicine including idiosyncratic
effects, which occurs during its proper exposure can create causal relationship
use, can be called ADR. The detection between the adverse effects and drug
and recording of these reactions is of
vital importance and it can further
help as statistical record. Further
patients can be provided with proper
counselling by detailed study of the
ADR.
‘A’ type reactions are dose-related,
predictable and often preventable.
They are usually the extension of the
therapeutic effects e.g. hypoglycemia
by an anti-diabetic drug.
‘B’ type reactions are not dose-related
usually the result of some peculiarity
in the individual. It may be due to
allergy, idiosyncrasy or some genetic
abnormality. They are less common,
and their concurrence is difficult to
predict and prevent, e.g. anaphylaxis
with penicillin.
The long term effects after drug
which later may become hard to
establish the interactions between
them. They are often irreversible by
the time they are detected and are
therefore very serious.
Teratogenic effects are adverse
effects of the drug on the fetus due
to consumption of certain drugs
by the mother during pregnancy.
Prescribers should report all congenital
abnormalities if they are suspected to
be caused by drugs.
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