Use and reported adverse effects of new chemical entities

Reports submitted to the FDA through 1987 of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to new chemical entities (NCEs) approved after 1983 are described, and estimates of each NCE's proportionate use in hospitals and within its therapeutic class are reported. This review was limited to those domestic spontaneous ADR reports submitted to the FDA by healthcare professionals. NCEs accounted for approximately 20% of the total number of domestic spontaneous ADR reports received in 1987, 22% of the reports of serious ADRs, and 24% of the reports that listed death as an outcome. Data on the use of these NCEs were obtained through the U.S. Pharmaceutical Market--Drugstores and Hospitals and the National Prescription Audit. Of the 93 drugs designated as NCEs in 1987, 65 had measurable use, with 41% of those used principally in hospitals. Most hospital-use NCEs were injectable antimicrobial agents, surgical drugs, and radioactive diagnostic agents. Because NCEs account for a disproportionate share of the ADRs reported to the FDA, and because of the high use of NCEs in hospitals, hospital pharmacists should be aware of the importance of monitoring and reporting serious ADRs associated with NCEs.