Event Description

SADA Oral Health Month Series

SADA & SASPIO Webinar

From pills to problems: Understanding oral side effects of medications

Date: 10 September 2024

Time: 19:00 - 20:30

Speaker: Dr Dean Laubscher

This presentation will address the complexities surrounding adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse drug events (ADEs), focusing particularly on oral reactions.

Medications used for disease prevention and management can cause adverse effects, and distinguishing these from harm caused by the disease itself can be challenging. ADRs, as defined by Edwards and Aronson, refer to harmful or unpleasant responses to medicinal interventions, necessitating changes in treatment. The World Health Organization further emphasizes that ADRs occur at normal dosages for therapeutic purposes. ADEs, meanwhile, encompass harm from both correct drug use and medication errors. Diagnosing adverse oral reactions to medications often relies on patient history and the timing of symptom onset, though some reactions, like lichenoid drug reactions, may develop years after treatment begins.

Effective diagnosis involves ruling out pre-existing conditions and monitoring symptom changes after discontinuing the medication. Healthcare providers must weigh the benefits of medications against potential side effects, with consideration for alternatives, dosage adjustments, and the treatability of side effects.

This presentation will explore common ADEs from a clinical perspective, focusing on oral lesions and reactions.

1 Clinical CPD Point