Reports analysis of psychotropic drugs related adverse reactions in Australia and Poland during the COVID 19 pandemic

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy 2023-06, Vol.162, p.114681-114681, Article 114681
• Main Authors: Schetz, Daria, Scott, Tara Elizabeth, Waldman, Wojciech, Sein Anand, Jacek, Wiergowski, Marek, Kocić, Ivan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; Adverse drug reactions; Australia; COVID-19; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Humans; Pandemics; Poland; Psychotropic Drugs
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114681

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes to the global health care system It is unknown whether the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) of antidepressive agents, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics plus mood stabilizers (AaMS). The study was designed in order to compare the incidence of ADR during the COVID-19 pandemic with the period preceding the pandemic in Poland and Australia, different in terms of their COVID-19 prevention strategy. We analysed ADR from the three surveyed pharmacological groups of drugs observed in Poland and Australia in the period prior to, and during the COVID-19 pandemic In Poland, a noticeable increase in the reported ADR of the assessed drug groups was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The highest was for antidepressive agents, but the reporting of ADR for benzodiazepines and AaMS drugs also increased significantly. In the case of ADR in Australian patients, the increase in the number of reported ADR for antidepressive agents was modest compared to that seen in Poland, but still noticeable, and there was a significant increase in ADR for benzodiazepines This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the incidence of ADR reported among both Polish and Australian patients but the modality of this was different. [Display omitted] •During the pandemic, increases in the reporting of adverse reactions of psychotropic drugs were seen in Poland.•In Poland was an increase in the reporting of severe adverse drug reactions compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.•In Australia, during the pandemic a substantial upsurge in the reporting of adverse drug reaction was found in the case of benzodiazepines.•The study highlighted the differences in adverse drug reaction reporting systems between Poland and Australia.