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Medicine vocabulary · Prescriptions and Medication

Adverse drug reaction

Meaning in medicine, with examples

nounCommon term

In medicine, adverse drug reaction means: A harmful, unintended effect of a medicine taken in the normal way, ranging from a mild rash to a life-threatening reaction.

In Turkish: advers ilaç reaksiyonu, istenmeyen ilaç etkisi

How it is used

Shortened to ADR. Doctors record ADRs in the notes and the allergy section, and in many countries report them to a national system (in the UK, the Yellow Card scheme). It overlaps with 'side effect', but ADR is the formal term and always means harm.

Example sentences

  1. We reported the rash as a suspected adverse drug reaction.

  2. Adverse drug reactions are a common cause of hospital admission in older adults.

Common collocations

  • report an adverse drug reaction
  • suspected adverse drug reaction
  • serious adverse drug reaction
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main one intended, and is often unwanted, such as drowsiness or an upset stomach.
  • allergyA harmful reaction of the immune system to something that is normally harmless, such as a medicine, a food or pollen.
  • drug interactionA change in how a medicine works or how strong it is, caused by another medicine, a food or a drink taken at the same time.
  • anaphylaxisA severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that develops quickly and affects breathing, circulation or both.
  • medicationA substance used to treat, prevent or relieve the symptoms of a disease; also the whole set of drugs a patient takes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Prescriptions and Medication

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.