Medication side effects result in 700 deaths a year in Switzerland

In Switzerland, 32,000 people were hospitalised each year between 2012 and 2019 due to side effects of medications. This is shown for the first time in a joint study by the Universities of Lucerne and Zurich, the University Hospital Zurich and Swissmedic. During the eight-year study period, adverse drug reactions accounted for 2.3% of all hospital admissions, according to the study. Nearly half of those admitted for side effects (46.9%) were over the age of 65. + Why were women more affected by men from Covid-19 vaccine side effects? The most common side effects noted were related to the digestive system (such as gastrointestinal inflammation), genitourinary system (for example, acute renal failure), or mental/behavioral state (such as opioid dependence). Some 2.2% of those hospitalised due to side effects, or about 700 per year, died in hospital, the study further shows. Of these deaths, around 12% were reported to Swissmedic. Despite the legal obligation to report, only about...