Table 1.

Examples of potential research projects in adverse drug reactions (ADRs)

Heading	Examples
Pharmacology/toxicology	1.Constructing a database of published dose-response curves in ADRs (in vitro and in vivo):
	•in order to analyse their characteristics (e.g. maximal efficacy, slope)
	•the use of in vitro data to predict in vivo outcomes
	2.Defining the time-courses of ADRs
	3.Defining susceptibility factors in patients
	4.Developing and using biomarkers of adverse effects
	5.Effects of overdose and methods of management [1 + 2 + 3 → DoTS classification of adverse drug reactions [1]]
Regulation	How drug regulatory decisions should be made
	•licensing decisions
	•withdrawing drugs after llicensing
	Naming medicines
Marketing	How information about ADRs is disseminated
	•Summaries of Product Characteristics (SPCs)
	•advertising
Communication & education	Methods of communicating with health-care professionals [2] and the public:
	•the nature of risk
	•perceptions of risks [3]
	•the actual risks and their relevance to clinical practice
	•the nature of the balance of benefit and harm
Study design	Reporting methods Which types of design are best for eliciting particular types of ADR (e.g. cohort studies, case-control studies, n-of-1 studies, RCTs)
Analysis	Teleoanalysis – how best to combine information from many different types of evidence (RCTs, observational studies, case series, anecdotes) When different types of evidence are relevant Data mining techniques [4]
Terminology & classification	Developing classification systems [5] Dictionaries – using standard terminology [6]
Publication	Developing CONSORT-like statements [7]
Review	The use of anecdotes and spontaneous reports [8] Systematic review (including narrative review, meta-analysis, and teleoanalysis) Methods of searching for published information [9] Indexing databases