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

The policy brief addresses post-drug syndromes (PDS) as a neglected category of adverse drug reactions, highlighting conditions like Post-Finasteride Syndrome and Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction. It critiques current pharmacovigilance systems for focusing on acute adverse events, thus overlooking long-term drug-induced harms. The document identifies systemic failures, such as assumptions of reversibility, limitations in reporting systems, and gaps in governance and education. It proposes recommendations to enhance drug safety oversight, including recognizing PDS in pharmacovigilance, developing longitudinal reporting mechanisms, and integrating persistent adverse effects into medical education. The brief aims to shift pharmacovigilance towards proactive, life-course–oriented safety surveillance to prevent enduring iatrogenic injury.