Your Side Effects May Include

Reading the label

Short, plain-language guides to prescription drug labels and side effects: what the label says, how to read it, and what to do when something doesn't feel right.

• How to read your prescription drug labelWhat's in the folded paper, and which parts matter most to you.
• What is a boxed warning?The FDA's strongest warning, and what it does and doesn't mean for you.
• Why drug labels list so many side effectsWhere the long list comes from, and how to tell the common from the rare.
• Side effect or something more? When to get helpWhich side effects can wait, which mean calling your doctor, and which mean 911.
• How to report a side effect to the FDAAnyone can report one. Here's how, and why it matters.
• What FDA adverse event reports do and don't tell youWhy the report counts in the quiz are useful, and why they aren't proof.

Looking for a specific drug? Browse the drug guide.

Drug guide · Learn · About · Privacy · Terms · Contact
Not medical advice. Don't stop or start a medication because of a quiz. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Label text and report counts from openFDA. Not affiliated with any drug maker.