Check for drug interactions using new FDA online report

Washington

- Adverse reactions to certain drugs can cause serious problems, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is trying to make identifying them a little easier.

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine has posted the Cumulative Adverse Drug Experiences (ADE) Summaries Report on its Web site to provide veterinarians and animal owners with easy access to information about particular signs associated with adverse reactions that have been reported with specific drugs.

The signs are listed in order of frequency and by the name of the active ingredients.

The ADE summaries also are broken down into six alphabetical subsections to allow easier access to specific drug interactions. Files can be downloaded and saved in PDF formats. The report covers drugs and interactions from 1987 to July 7, 2008.

To ensure the continuous accuracy of the database, veterinarians and animal owners may send reports to drug manufacturers or the FDA. The FDA notes that there is no guarantee that any adverse reaction was caused by the reported drug alone, and the summaries do not include information about underlying diseases or other non-drug-related causes. The accuracy of the information in the ADE is dependent on the quality of information form the veterinarian or animal owner, the FDA adds.

The online database can be accessed and downloaded here.