Classification of Adverse Reactions

Adverse Event Reporting is a very important part ofThese are predictable but are often unavoidable.
the entire pharmacovigilance exercise. Adverse- Type B: Allergic or idiosyncratic reactions, usually
events are unwanted effects caused by drugs. Eachoccurs in a minority of patients and usually unrelated
drug may have many adverse effects and theseto dosage. These effects are serious, unexpected
may be heterogeneous. Adverse reactions may varyand unpredictable.
from a simple headache to even death, in some- Type C: Chronic effects related to an increased
extreme cases.frequency of 'spontaneous' disease
Clinical trials management system and other- Type D: Adverse reactions that are a delayed
observational procedures work to track adverseresponse to the drug
reactions during drug development. But that's just not- Type E: The adverse effects at the end of the
enough. Often adverse reactions can be identifiedtreatment using the particular drug
even after successful marketing of drugs. In some- Type F: Failed therapy Classification based on
cases, adverse event patterns may be identifiedseverity:
years after the drug was launched, and products- Permanent, persistent or significant disability
have been withdrawn from market.- Life-threatening condition
Monitoring and assessing adverse reactions goes a- Need for hospitalization
long way in improving drug safety. Adverse Event- Congenital Anomaly
Reporting System helps monitor adverse drug- Intervention needed to prevent permanent damage
reactions and bring it to the notice of regulatory- Death Classification of adverse reactions helps
authorities and pharmaceutical companies. These areidentify the cause, assess the severity and evaluate
classified under different categories to makethe safety of a drug. It helps drug companies and
assessment of effects easier. Adverse effects areregulatory bodies analyze the relative benefits of the
classified based on causal factors and severity.drug as against the adverse effects. An efficient
Classification based on causal factors:adverse event reporting system helps identify and
- Type A: Overdose reactions that are related to theclassify these adverse effects, thereby improving
exaggeration of the therapeutic effects of the drug.strategies for pharmacovigilance.