Adverse drug reactions and their measurement in the rheumatic diseases.

Drugs administered as therapy for rheumatological disorders are a relatively common cause of adverse events. Important data regarding the effects of drugs on patients with rheumatological conditions is being lost or rendered inaccessible because of deficiencies in classification, measurement, and collection methods for adverse drug reactions. A significant 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 systems and methods for detecting adverse drug reactions are described, critically evaluated, and compared for cost, potential bias, ethical concerns, and subject recruitment required for necessary statistical power. Systems need to be developed to give access to the wealth of clinical experimental data available in the individual practices of a broad spectrum of clinicians. To facilitate this, representative organizations need to make adverse drug reactions a high priority as well as contributing expertise and finance to database formulation and accessibility.