Developing an optimal approach to global drug safety.

An increasing number of media reports on a number of marketed drugs withdrawn because of harmful effects, a scientific report on epidemic proportions of serious adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients, and a disturbing report on medical mistakes that includes medication errors have recently all brought drug safety into intense focus and placed it under greater scrutiny. Concerted efforts are now being made to understand the causes of drug safety problems and to find ways to reduce their frequency. An international symposium, 'Developing an Optimal Approach to Drug Safety' was held at Wake Forest University in the Fall of 2000 to identify the issues and solutions to extant problems in this area. This report summarizes the resulting discussions of global postmarketing surveillance initiatives and describes efforts to reduce medication errors, and improve global communication about drug safety.