Characterization of adverse drug reactions in adults over 44 years of age in Bogota, January-December, 2012

Abstract

Introduction: In Colombia, aging of the population is a reality and elders consume more drugs than the young do. Consequently, they are more exposed to adverse drug reactions.
Objective: To characterize suspected adverse drug reactions in adults over 44 years of age in Bogota in 2012.
Materials and methods: We conducted a pharmacological surveillance study that included 470 reports of adverse drug events and associated problems with the use of drugs in adults over 44 years old included in the database of Bogotá’s pharmacosurveillance program.
Results: We evaluated 470 reports of adverse drug events and associated problems with the use of drugs in adults over 44 years of age. From these, 432 reports (91.9%) were classified as suspected adverse drug reactions and 28 (6%), as associated problems with the use of drugs. The incidence rate for adverse drug events reported in Bogotá was 22.5 for every 100,000 elders, which increased in direct proportion to patients’ age. The most frequently reported drug was antibacterials with 94 notifications (20%). The organ system with the highest number of alterations was the skin and annexes with 21.2% of cases. Regarding severity assessment, 69.5% of adverse drug reactions were moderate, and as for causality, most adverse drug reactions were classified as possible, with 45.8% of the reports.
Conclusions: The characterization of adverse drug reactions in older adults in Bogotá is similar to that reported in the literature for this population age group.