Post-Drug Syndromes: A Neglected Challenge in Pharmacovigilance and Public Health

The policy brief addresses the issue of post-drug syndromes (PDS), which are persistent conditions caused by medications that continue after the drug is stopped, such as Post-Finasteride Syndrome and Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction. Current pharmacovigilance systems are inadequate for detecting these long-term adverse effects, leading to misclassification and exclusion from safety evaluations. This results in flawed risk assessments and insufficient informed consent, causing preventable health issues and loss of trust. The brief identifies systemic failures in safety science assumptions, reporting system limitations, and educational gaps. It proposes solutions like recognizing PDS in safety frameworks, improving reporting mechanisms, and enhancing medical education to better address these syndromes. The document aims to guide regulators and health professionals in evolving pharmacovigilance systems to prevent long-term drug-induced harm.