Adverse Drug Reactions due to Systemic Medications- A Narrative Review

Medical research aims to discover more about health and to find new ways to treat or prevent diseases[1]. The beneficial medicines can cause side effects, which is why they are monitored for safety. Safety issues arise whenever medical choices have to be made[2]. During the period of treatment, prescribed drugs produce certain effects other than the desired or expected effects. These are generally referred to as ‘side effects. The unwanted effects are categorised into many types such as toxic effects, side effects, adverse reactions, and adverse drug events etc., depending upon the taxonomic classification used. Worldwide, studies have shown that it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality[3]. Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are rated as the fifth leading cause of death among all diseases. Approximately 5-8% of all hospitalisation worldwide is due to ADR[4].