A study of package inserts of potentially toxic drugs.

Information contained in the package inserts of drugs chosen as potential causes of blood dyscrasia, renal toxicity, hepatotoxicity, and cardiac toxicity has been studied. Chloramphenicol and pyrazolones were chosen as representatives of drugs that could produce blood dyscrasia, aminoglycosides and cephaloridine as potential nephrotoxic agents, isoniazid and monoamine oxidase inhibitors as possible hepatotoxic drugs, and tricyclic antidepressants and digitalis as drugs of recognized cardiac toxicity. Adverse effects were clearly described in only 27.8% of the package inserts, whereas 40.3% did not mention them, and 15.7% specifically stated that the product was devoid of adverse effects. Information about the type of toxicity that led to the selection of drugs included in this study was uncommon in most cases.