Adverse drug reactions - Medical and legal considerations

The population of the United States consumes more prescription and over-the-counter drugs than anyone else in the world. Ideally, the goal of any medication is to achieve improvement of health or relief of symptoms. Because there is no such thing as a drug without side effects, drug-related problems are quite frequent and often precipitate medical negligence litigation. The characteristics and risks for immunologic reactions are discussed in detail. General measures for risk avoidance and prevention of adverse drug reactions are also reviewed.