Information and misinformation about adverse drug reactions

In this review, we critically discuss the information distributed to patients and doctors regarding adverse drug reactions. A major concern is that frequencies reported in the summary of product characteristics are not adjusted for the occurrence of side effects observed in the placebo group. Previous research has found that the understanding of the health hazards related to pharmacotherapy can be significantly improved by providing information on the frequencies of adverse drug reactions in both the active- and the placebo group.