Did My Drug Cause This? an Academic Perspective

Academicians working in a university hospital environment play an important role in reporting adverse drug events. While their perspective differs to some extent from persons involved in regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, the overall approach and goals to assessing adverse event causation are very similar. A number of factors must be considered to improve the recognition, attribution, and reporting of adverse drug events in the clinical setting. The consequences of poorly documented associations that raise unfounded concerns over the use of certain drugs should be considered in disseminating information on suspected adverse drug events.