Epidemiology and Drug Monitoring

Epidemiological methods and drug monitoring of adverse reactions to drugs pursue four different goals (Bruppacher 1979, personal communication)  

A signal function, if an event (disease, syndrome, mortality rate) increases or shows up under special conditions (Finney 1974 Koch-Weser 1968) 

A search function, offering the possibility of finding other comparable situations previously observed in the same or in another system of epidemiology or drug monitoring (Finney 1974 Koch-Weser 1968) 

A review of adverse drug reactions or drug risks by case documentation, scanning lists, tables etc. 

Statistical monitoring with the possibility of indicating so-called hidden risks. Usually the methods applied to a drug in the post-marketing phase of a drug 

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