Perspectives on Emerging Drug Risks - May 2018

In this issue of QuarterWatch™, we examine antidepressant drugs with perspectives from a massive new study and illustrated by the adverse event profile and benefits of the newest antidepressant, vortioxetine (TRINTELLIX). Packaging, labeling, and online instructions have all contributed to dispensing errors and name confusion among GlaxoSmithKline’s new Ellipta inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). How the abuse of loperamide (IMODIUM A-D, others), an over-the-counter (OTC) diarrhea medication, was identified and addressed reveals new insights into detecting emerging risks of older drugs.

QuarterWatch™ is an independent publication of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). We analyze computer excerpts from the Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These reports (best known as MedWatch reports) are a cornerstone of the nation’s system for monitoring the safety of prescription drugs after FDA marketing approval.