International Side Effects Week; report side effects!
Report adverse drug reactions!
This week is International Side Effects Week. This week is about reporting side effects. This week is organized by the Medicines Evaluation Board (CBG) and side effects center Lareb. The goal? To make as many people as possible aware that reporting side effects is important.
What is International Adverse Drug Reaction Week?
During Adverse Drug Reaction Week, the main focus is on reporting adverse drug reactions. Every report is helpful. This way healthcare providers can react quickly if certain side effects occur more often than expected. Therefore, we would like to stress the importance of reporting side effects, even if you are not sure if the side effect is really caused by the medicine.
Why is it important to report side effects?
Reporting side effects indirectly leads to improvements in care, better patient education, changes in the package insert or improved treatments. Side effects are not always reported because people think it may not be important enough.
Where do you report side effects?
Reporting side effects can be done easily through the Lareb Side Effects Centre website:
For more information about side effects, you can also visit apotheek.nl. On this website you will also find explanations of common side effects, how to watch out for them and what to do in case of certain complaints.An example: stomach upset caused by ibuprofen
Many patients report stomach upset when taking ibuprofen. This drug, often used to reduce pain and inflammation, can irritate the stomach wall, causing stomach pain, nausea or even stomach ulcers. Fortunately, there is a solution. At the pharmacy, we can recommend that ibuprofen always be taken with food to protect the stomach. In addition, the pharmacist may prescribe a stomach protector, such as omeprazole, if you need to take ibuprofen for an extended period of time. This significantly lowers the risk of stomach upset.
Top 10 common side effects
- Stomach and intestinal symptoms: such as nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation.
- Headache: a common complaint with several medications.
- Dizziness: may occur with the use of some medications, such as blood pressure suppressants.
- Fatigue: common with tranquilizers and some antidepressants.
- Skin reactions: such as rash, itching, or redness.
- Dry mouth: a known side effect of certain medications such as antihistamines and antidepressants.
- Weight gain: sometimes a result of long-term use of certain medications, such as some antipsychotics.
- Sleepiness: often reported with allergy medications and sleep medications.
- Change in appetite: both increase and decrease in appetite can occur.
- Sore or muscle cramps: side effects that can occur with some cholesterol reducers.
How can we help you?
As a pharmacy, we are always ready to answer your questions about side effects. If you notice that you are suffering from a side effect, you can discuss it with us. We are happy to think with you about how you can deal with the side effect and together we can look at possible alternatives or adjustments in your medication use.
