Adverse Drug Events--Estimated Among Leading Causes of Death--Prompt National Policy Discussion on Medication Safety

American Society of Pharmacovigilance convenes national leaders for Medication Safety Policy Roundtable in Washington, D.C. on March 24

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Adverse drug events (ADEs)—injuries caused by medications— are estimated to rank among the leading causes of death in the United States and represent a major, often preventable threat to patient safety.

Despite the scale of medication-related harm, the United States lacks a coordinated national strategy to prevent adverse drug events across healthcare settings.

In recognition of National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day, leaders from healthcare, pharmacovigilance, public health, industry, and policy will convene in Washington, D.C. on March 24 for a Medication Safety Policy Roundtable focused on advancing solutions to reduce medication harm.

Millions of patients experience adverse drug events each year. Many of these incidents are preventable through stronger medication safety systems, improved drug surveillance, and better clinical decision support.

In addition to the human toll, medication-related harm places a significant burden on the U.S. healthcare system. Researchers estimated nearly a decade ago that adverse drug events cost more than $528 billion annually in medical care and hospitalizations—a figure experts believe is likely even higher today.

"Medication-related harm remains one of the most significant and preventable challenges in healthcare," said Dr. Sara Rogers, President of the American Society of Pharmacovigilance. "When adverse drug events rank among the leading causes of death in the United States, it signals the need for a coordinated national strategy to strengthen medication safety across healthcare systems."

"What is particularly tragic about all the deaths is that many of those who died didn't even need the drug that killed them," said Professor emeritus Peter C. Gøtzsche, Director of the Institute for Scientific Freedom in Copenhagen. "We should write fewer prescriptions."

"More than twenty years ago, my family learned the hard way about the dangers of medication-related harm when my husband died after being prescribed an antidepressant for insomnia. Since then, I have dedicated my life to shining a light on harms in medicine and advocating for stronger drug safety.

"National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day marks an important milestone. For the first time, we are seeing a coordinated national effort in the United States to acknowledge the true scale of medication-related harm.

"It's time we level set and bring balance to the conversation. As I often say, you can't improve drug safety if you refuse to acknowledge drug harm."

— Kim Witczak, former Consumer Representative on the FDA Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee (2016–2025) and co-founder of Woody Matters

"I'm part of a growing community of patients who have been deeply harmed by adverse drug events. These aren't rare cases—they're just not being acknowledged.

"We need greater awareness, education, and accountability to prevent this from continuing. National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day is an important step toward shedding light on the true scope of medication-related harm. I fully support this campaign."

— Morgan Stewart, Founder, Antidepressant Coalition for Education

The federal government previously recognized the scope of the issue in the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2014. Roundtable participants will discuss how lessons from that initiative and newer pharmacovigilance tools could inform future efforts to improve medication safety nationwide.

Key topics include:

• Pre-market drug approval standards and patient safety considerations
• Post-market surveillance and pharmacovigilance systems
• Drug manufacturing, quality assurance, and supply chain resilience
• Developing a coordinated national strategy to prevent adverse drug events

The discussion will take place in Washington, D.C. Members of the public may register to watch the livestream at: https://thirdcause.eventbrite.com

Media Invitation

Members of the press are invited to attend the roundtable in person or cover the livestream discussion. Due to space and security requirements, journalists interested in attending in person should contact the organizers to request access.

About National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day

National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day is an initiative focused on raising awareness of preventable medication harm and advancing solutions to improve medication safety. The campaign highlights the growing public health impact of adverse drug events and promotes collaboration among healthcare leaders, policymakers, and patient advocates.

More information is available at:
thirdcause.org

About the American Society of Pharmacovigilance

The American Society of Pharmacovigilance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to rapidly and dramatically reducing the high rate of suffering and mortality due to adverse drug events in the U.S.

Learn more at:
www.stopadr.org

Media Contact
Sara Rogers
President, American Society of Pharmacovigilance
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 469-939-8475

SOURCE American Society of Pharmacovigilance