Oral Side Effects of the Most Commonly Prescribed Drugs in Germany

TL;DR

This study examines the oral side effects of the 100 most prescribed drugs in Germany, finding that many cause issues like dry mouth and taste changes.

Contribution

The study introduces the 'oral side effect score' (OSES) to quantify and compare oral adverse drug reactions among commonly prescribed medications.

Findings

65% of the 49 reviewed medications exhibited oral adverse drug reactions.

Xerostomia and dysgeusia were the most common oral side effects, affecting 37% of cases.

Antidepressants, antibiotics, and analgesics had the highest OSES, with azithromycin, gabapentin, and pregabalin leading in individual scores.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential link between the use of specific medications and oral adverse drug reactions. Methods: The 100 most frequently prescribed drugs in Germany in 2023 were compiled using the “PharMaAnalyst” database. According to the descriptions of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the patient information leaflets the ADRs were selected, analyzed and weighted with scores according to a classification system that distinguishes four groups of ADRs by frequency: ‘very common’ (4), ‘common’ (3), ‘uncommon’ (2) and ‘rare’ (1). The objective was to summarize the scores of the oral ADRs and define the ‘oral side effect score’ (OSES). Results: After accounting for duplication due to various brand names, 49 medications were reviewed. A total of 65% of the medications exhibited oral ADRs. The number of oral ADRs per medication ranged from one to seven. Xerostomia and dysgeusia were the most prevalent oral side effects, accounting for 37% of cases. Overall, 34% of side effects were classified as either ‘very common’ or ‘common’. The medication groups with the highest OSES were antidepressants, antibiotics and analgesics. Of the individual medications, azithromycin, gabapentin and pregabalin exhibited the highest OSES. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of oral side effects associated with the 100 most frequently prescribed drugs. Patients with polypharmacy are particularly likely to experience oral side effects such as xerostomia and dysgeusia. Due to their high OSES combinations, antibiotics, analgesics or antidepressants may trigger multiple oral ADRs. It is essential that the medical community is continuously updated on pharmacological knowledge to raise awareness of oral ADRs.

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