A
reported rise in complaints coincides with increased use of
prescription drugs. March 14, 2005: 9:27 AM EST
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Complaints to the Food and Drug Administration
regarding drug side effects and other related health problems
reached an all-time high in 2004, according to a published
report.
The federal agency received about 422,500 adverse-event reports
from pharmaceutical companies, health professionals and patients,
up nearly 14 percent from the 370,887 reports filed in 2003,
reported USA Today. A final 2004 total is expected later this
year, but FDA officials don't expect it to vary significantly
from the estimate.
The 2004 increase occurred during a year that saw rising questions
about prescription drug safety. However, a top FDA official
said the rise reflects a surge in prescription drug use, not
an increase in health risk.
"There are more drugs on the market and more use of pharmaceuticals
in general," said Paul Seligman, director of the FDA's Office
of Pharmacoepidemiology and Statistical Sciences. "Clearly,
when you have more products on the market, you're likely to
have more side effects."
Prescription drug sales totaled $235 billion nationally in
2004, a historic high that was up 8.3 percent from 2003 and
more than triple the 1995 volume, according to IMS Health,
a pharmaceutical market research firm.
The bulk of the reports to the FDA come from drug manufacturers,
which are required by the FDA to file details of all known
adverse events involving their products. Doctors, nurses and
patients also file, but their reports are voluntary. As a
result, the annual totals are believed to cover only a percentage
of the actual number of serious drug reactions and problems.
