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.
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
GREY
|
On Hold–Risk Rating under review
|
.