Drug Classes by Total Adverse Event Reports

Drug classes group medications by their pharmacological action. This analysis shows which classes have the most total adverse event reports, which can reflect both the size of the patient population and the nature of the conditions being treated.

# Drug Class ↕ Total Reports ↕ Drugs in Class ↕ Avg Death Ratio ↕
1 Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug [EPC] 158,681,233 494 13.77%
2 Corticosteroid [EPC] 158,128,191 488 13.77%
3 Proton Pump Inhibitor [EPC] 83,687,107 331 17.71%
4 Platelet Aggregation Inhibitor [EPC] 78,156,796 174 9.25%
5 Loop Diuretic [EPC] 76,214,814 168 9.28%
6 Vitamin C [EPC] 73,746,236 300 18.63%
7 Benzodiazepine [EPC] 72,257,532 296 19.07%
8 HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor [EPC] 67,016,251 140 9.18%
9 Folate Analog Metabolic Inhibitor [EPC] 8,371,856 22 8.28%
10 Tumor Necrosis Factor Blocker [EPC] 6,198,983 13 7.97%
11 Vitamin B12 [EPC] 4,670,274 15 8.51%
12 CD20-directed Cytolytic Antibody [EPC] 2,414,179 5 10.37%
13 Thalidomide Analog [EPC] 2,387,202 8 15.75%
14 Proteasome Inhibitor [EPC] 2,387,202 8 15.75%
15 Provitamin D2 Compound [EPC] 2,180,233 7 7.04%
16 Vitamin D [EPC] 2,172,873 9 9.17%
17 Alkylating Drug [EPC] 1,978,181 7 16.33%
18 Expectorant [EPC] 782,334 2 14.71%
19 Amide Local Anesthetic [EPC] 747,770 2 15.44%
20 Insulin Analog [EPC] 631,803 2 8.2%

Key Takeaways

  • Drug classes treating common chronic conditions (pain, inflammation, heart disease) have the highest report volumes.
  • A higher total report count for a class reflects the combined usage of all drugs within that class.
  • The average death ratio varies by class and reflects the severity of conditions treated, not drug safety.

Important Disclaimer

FDA adverse event reports are submitted voluntarily and do not prove causation. A reported reaction does not mean the drug caused it. Drugs with more users naturally have more reports. These rankings reflect reporting volume, not drug safety. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before making medication decisions.