Answer
Hi Joanne, and thanks for your question about medication side effects.
The primary goal of medication treatment is to relieve or cure a medical condition. The secondary effects of a medication, which are unintended but predictable, are known from clinical trials. Clinical trials occur before drugs are approved for use. These secondary experiences are known as side effects, and these are generally mild, tolerable, and produce no harm.
One common example is the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) with a drug known as enalapril, which can simultaneously produce a dry cough as a side effect. Despite this often unpleasant effect, the benefit of effectively treating high blood pressure far outweighs the risk of no treatment at all, which can lead to negative health outcomes including kidney damage, stroke, and heart failure to name a few.
If an effect causes harm to a patient, their prescriber (e.g. doctor) usually advises that the use of the medication be stopped. These types of effects are referred to as adverse drug reactions. Adverse drug reactions are also unintended, but in some cases they are known by the medication's manufacturer.
One example of an adverse drug reaction is the break-down of muscle tissue due to treatment with a class of cholesterol-lowering medications called “statins”, and tendon rupture due to quinolones – a class of antibiotics. A core function of pharmacists is to educate patients about their medications, including their potential side effects and adverse effects, so be sure to check in with your pharmacist if you have any questions about your prescribed or over-the-counter medications.
Thanks again for reaching out to us, and I hope this answer was helpful.