Adverse drug reaction (ADR) is a harmful, unintentional response to a medicine. Between 3 and 10% of hospital admissions are for this reason, and between 10 and 20% of patients have an adverse drug reaction during their hospital stay.

Although the large majority of adverse drug reactions are mild, some are serious and can even lead to death. The factors influencing its appearance are age; diseases such as kidney failure; polymedication (patients who take more than six medicines a day during a prolonged period of time), and genetic polymorphism determinants.

The Pharmacosurveillance programme of the hospital promotes the safe use of drugs through the detection of suspected adverse reactions, assessment and notification to the autonomic organisms responsible.

Genetic polymorphisms

Genetic polymorphisms can influence the appearance of adverse effects through different mechanisms, particularly through genes that participate in hepatic metabolism. Therefore, slow metabolizing patients will consequently have a slow down in eliminating the drug, which is metabolized by the liver, and there will be greater risk of major plasma concentrations and toxicity. However, ultrafast metabolizing patients will have an acceleration in eliminating the drug that is metabolized through this, which causes a decline in plasma concentrations, and consequently, the drug will be ineffective.

Phase I clinical trials in the development of a new drug are the first administration in humans.

In these cases, the main objective is to check that the drug is tolerated satisfactorily, although it is often possible to obtain pharmacokinetic data (showing the effect of the body on the drug) and pharmacodynamics (showing the effect of the drug on the body). These data provide preliminary information on the effect and give a guide to the most suitable dosing schedule for later clinical trials.

Normally, these trials take place with healthy volunteers. However, there are cases, such as antineoplastic chemotherapy, when trials are done on cancer patients.

In order to minimize risks arising from the administration of drugs in the development phase, the units performing the Phase I trials must comply with techno-health requirements regarding the staff working on the trials, the facilities and the required equipment.

Research activity of the Pharmacology Service is currently focused on international multicentre projects regarding genetic polymorphisms (when there is more than one variation per gene) and adverse drug reaction.

The main lines of research of the service are:

• Genetic determinants in adverse drug reactions
• Systematic revisions
• Phase I clinical trials with healthy volunteers
• Vaccinations and other products against tuberculosis

Undergraduate teaching

All physicians of the Clinical Pharmacology Service are lecturers of the department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapy of the UAB Medical School of the Can Ruti Campus.

Postgraduate teaching

Professionals of the service participate in training resident doctors in Clinical Pharmacology and they direct doctorate dissertations. 

Residents 2022

Teaching guide.

Continuing training

The service organizes courses on methodology and research, together with other aspects related to Clinical Pharmacology.

It also coordinates on a monthly basis:

• Sessions specialized in pharmacosurveillance and interconsultations
• Bibliographic sessions
• Research protocol sessions assessed by the Ethics Committee of Clinical Research
• Sessions on research projects carried out by the service
• Sessions on other aspects relevant to the speciality