[Pharmacovigilance update]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety
• Clinical Pharmacology
• Adverse Drug Reactions

Context:

• The year 2014 saw significant pharmacovigilance updates concerning various medications.
• Monitoring drug safety is crucial for patient well-being and effective treatment.

Purpose:

• To review and summarize key pharmacovigilance updates from 2014.
• To inform healthcare professionals about newly identified or emphasized drug safety risks.

Summary:

• Ivabradine use in angina patients at high dosages is linked to increased cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction.
• Rare cases of acquired hemophilia with Clopidogrel, reduced HIV antiretroviral absorption with Orlistat, and arteriopathy/thrombosis risk with Ponatinib were noted.
• Axitinib carries a significant risk of heart failure (class effect), Tocilizumab may relate to psoriasis, and Lithium can cause hypercalcemia/hyperparathyroidism.
• Sildenafil's association with melanoma is under investigation, Methylphenidate has rare priapism reports, and St. John's Wort reduces hormonal contraceptive effectiveness.

Impact:

• Provides timely information on drug safety to clinicians, aiding in risk assessment and patient management.
• Highlights the dynamic nature of drug safety monitoring and the importance of ongoing research.
• Contributes to a safer medication use environment by disseminating critical safety alerts.