What Do These Risk Ratings Mean?

We use the following iGuard Risk Ratings to communicate the risk of developing serious side effects, listed below in order from lowest to highest risk.

NOTE: These ratings communicate risk for developing serious side effects. They DO NOT take into account potential benefits of treatment or the risk of NOT being treated.

1: Low

GREEN

Low Risk

Suitable for Widespread Use

These drugs have been widely used for a long period of time – which means that their safety profile is well known – and they are associated with a low risk of serious side effects.

2: General

BLUE

General Risk

Use under Normal Care of a Doctor

These drugs have been widely used for a long period of time – which means that their safety profile is well known – and are associated with a low risk of serious side effects when used according to their directions under the ongoing supervision of a doctor.

3: Guarded

YELLOW

Guarded

Be on the Lookout for Safety Events

Most new drugs fall into this category. They have been shown to have a low risk of serious side effects under tightly controlled conditions of a clinical trial, but have not been used for long enough or widely enough to really understand their risks.

4: Elevated

ORANGE

Elevated Risk

Create a personal risk reduction plan with your doctor.

These are drugs that require a special discussion between you and your doctor about ways that together, you can minimize your drug risk. Such a plan could simply involve education about signs and symptoms to look out for, or could involve regular check-ups and monitoring.

5: High

RED

High Risk

Requires careful consideration of risk versus benefit.

These are drugs that are associated with a high risk with serious side effects, and require a special discussion between you and your doctor to discuss risk versus benefit.

0: On hold

GREY

On Hold - Risk Rating under review

Your age, sex, race, interactions with other medications and conditions can all affect the safety of your drugs. To get personalized alerts and risk ratings, you will need to register and create a profile .