Information for healthcare professionals from market surveillance of medicinal products

Pharmacovigilance in the spotlight

Learning from adverse reaction reports – cases from pharmacovigilance
The purpose of this new section is to use real-life case reports from Switzerland as a reminder of possible side effects that professionals should be aware of in day-to-day clinical practice. The only way to protect patients against undesirable effects is to take account of and report medicinal product risks.

Latest contributions


22.11.2024

Risk of product mix-up with various insulin products

Medicinal product mix-up | medication error | insulin | Apidra | Lantus | hypoglycaemia | hypoglycaemic coma

01.11.2024

Microscopic colitis associated with sertraline and duloxetine

Sertraline | duloxetine | selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors | serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors | colitis | diarrhoea

23.09.2024

SonoVue® (sulphur hexafluoride) and anaphylactic reactions

SonoVue | anaphylactic reaction | shock | hypersensitivity | diagnostics | macrogol | sulphur hexafluoride | vasovagal reaction

30.08.2024

Drug-induced suicidality

Suicidality | suicidal ideation | suicidal behaviour | antiepileptics | neuropathic pain | Lyrica | pregabalin | fluoroquinolones | Tavanic | levofloxacin | Ritalin | methylphenidate hydrochloride

22.07.2024

Isotretinoin and teratogenicity

Isotretinoin | teratogenicity

28.05.2024

Daptomycin and eosinophilic pneumonia

Eosinophilic pneumonia | daptomycin | antibiotics |  staphylococci | antibiotic resistance

03.05.2024

Medicinal product interactions of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) with certain immunosuppressants

Paxlovid | CYP3A4 | inhibitors | tacrolimus | narrow therapeutic range | trazodone | ritonavir | nirmatrelvir | COVID-19

22.04.2024

Oral methotrexate and risk of unintentional overdose due to medication errors

Methotrexate | overdose | pancytopenia | dose adjustment Rheumatoid arthritis | palliative therapy | stomatitis

19.02.2024

Encephalitis/meningoencephalitis after vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)

Vaccinations | tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) | basic immunisation | booster | Swiss vaccination plan

22.12.2023

Oral contraceptives and depression

Hormonal contraceptives | depression | estradiol | dienogest

17.11.2023

Hypotonic-hyporesponsive episode and basic immunisation in infants

infants | vaccinations | hypotonia | hyporesponsive episode | apathy | HHE | basic immunisation | Swiss vaccination plan

29.09.2023

Parenteral iron products and hypophosphataemia

iron products | ferric carboxymaltose | parenteral iron | hypophosphataemia.

11.08.2023

Tizanidine and clinically relevant interactions

Tizanidine | Sirdalud | pharmacokinetic interactions | drug interactions | muscle relaxant | antispasmodic agent | CYP1A2 inhibitors | fluvoxamine | ciprofloxacin

07.07.2023

Betaseptic and burns

Betaseptic | skin disinfection | burn | propanol | ethanol | povidone-iodine

01.06.2023

Combined hormonal contraceptives (CHC) and thromboembolic events

Contraceptive | venous thrombosis | pulmonary embolism | drospirenone | chlormadinone acetate

09.05.2023

Metamizole and agranulocytosis

Novalgin | metamizole | agranulocytosis

11.04.2023

Loperamide and intentional overdose

Loperamide | overdose | drug dependency | opiate withdrawal symptoms | QT interval

08.02.2023

Drug-induced pancreatitis

Pancreatitis | Ozempic | semaglutide | Imurek | azathioprine | isotretinoin

26.11.2022

Fluoroquinolones and tendon inflammation/ruptures

Fluoroquinolones | moxifloxacin | iprofloxacin | levofloxacin | tendon rupture | Achilles tendon

21.11.2022

Amiodarone and hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism | amiodarone | thyroiditis | iodine level

Swissmedic Vigilance-News

Topical aspects of medicinal product risk assessment
Twice a year, the Safety of Medicines Division reports on current topics relating to adverse reaction surveillance and the evaluation of safety signals. Swissmedic's "Vigilance News" appears twice a year as an online resource.

Current Editions


25.11.2024

Swissmedic Vigilance News Edition 33

In this edition:

  • Impact of sex on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
  • Exposure to lithium during pregnancy
  • Brugada syndrome and bupropion
  • Stronger warnings about the risks associated with overuse of SABAs
  • Statistical review 2023

Previous issues


28.05.2024

Swissmedic Vigilance News Edition 32

In this edition:

  • Paclitaxel-induced cystoid macular oedema
  • Chemotherapy-associated severe hypertriglyceridaemia
  • Spider-like skin reactions following bortezomib (Velcade®)
  • Potential increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in children whose fathers were treated with valproate

28.05.2024

Swissmedic Vigilance News Edition 32

In this edition:

  • Paclitaxel-induced cystoid macular oedema
  • Chemotherapy-associated severe hypertriglyceridaemia
  • Spider-like skin reactions following bortezomib (Velcade®)
  • Potential increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in children whose fathers were treated with valproate

28.11.2023

Swissmedic Vigilance-News Edition 31

In this edition:

  • Pregnancy outcomes after GLP-1 agonist exposure in early pregnancy
  • Drug-induced pancreatitis
  • Febuxostat and azathioprine: a rare interaction
  • Kounis syndrome: a less familiar ADR
  • Statistical Review 2022

30.05.2023

Swissmedic Vigilance-News Edition 30

In this edition:

  • Checkpoint inhibitors: pregnancy-related outcomes
  • JAK inhibitors: risk minimisation / dosage individualisation
  • COVID-19 vaccines: myocarditis in elderly patients / adverse reactions after vaccination with bivalent vaccines
  • Haemovigilance: incorrect blood component transfused and near misses

22.11.2022

Vigilance-News Edition 29

In this edition:

  • Reports of urticaria after booster vaccination with Spikevax
  • Contrast-induced neurotoxicity
  • Swiss Haemovigilance System: Regulatory aspects and transfusion reactions
  • Statistical Review 2021: Pharmacovigilance for human medicinal products, vaccinovigilance, vigilance for veterinary medicinal products

23.05.2022

Vigilance-News Edition 28

In this edition:

COVID-19 immunisation:

  • Modification of the Information for healthcare professionals since authorisation
  • Myocarditis, thromboembolic events, multiple sclerosis
  • Persistent headache
  • Methods of signal detection / ”Observed versus expected” analyses

29.11.2021

Vigilance-News Edition 27

In this edition:

COVID-19 immunisation:

  • Myocarditis/pericarditis: Case reports received by Swissmedic
  • Menstrual disorders – facts, possible causes, unanswered questions
  • Recent study findings and recommendations
    for vaccination of pregnant women
  • International cooperation
    in the area of pharmacovigilance

29.06.2021

Vigilance-News Edition 26

In this edition:

  • COVID-19 vaccines: reporting suspected side effects correctly
  • Case report “COVID arm”
  • AEFI after immunisation with COVID-19 vaccines: Herpes zoster, neuralgic amyotrophy, immune thrombocytopenia

All issues