Reporting suspected adverse drug reactions
1. Causality
It does not matter if there is uncertainty about whether the reaction is associated with the medicine being taken. If it is suspected that there is an association then a yellow card should be completed.
In judging whether a patient may have had a reaction to the medicine they are taking, there are a number of factors which can be considered.
- Nature of the reaction
- Timing of the drug in relation to the reaction
- Reaction improves on withdrawal of the drug or dose reduction
- Reaction worsens on re-introduction of the drug