ADVERSE DRUG-REACTIONS AND THEIR MEASUREMENT IN THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES

Drugs administered as therapy for rheumatological disorders are a rela tively common cause of adverse events. Important data regarding the ef fects of drugs on patients with rheumatological conditions is being lo st or rendered inaccessible because of deficiencies in classification, measurement, and collection methods for adverse drug reactions. A sig nificant number of adverse reactions to drugs will not be known before marketing, and hence vigilance on the part of clinicians and patients in observing and documenting these reactions is paramount in building our knowledge and modifying our practice accordingly. A variety of sy stems and methods for detecting adverse drug reactions are described, critically evaluated, and compared for cost, potential bias, ethical c oncerns, and subject recruitment required for necessary statistical po wer. Systems need to be developed to give access to the wealth of clin ical experiential data available in the individual practices of a broa d spectrum of clinicians. To facilitate this, representative organizat ions need to make adverse drug reactions a high priority as well as co ntributing expertise and finance to database formulation and accessibi lity.