Introducción. Los fallos terapéuticos representan un problema de salud pública. Aunque existe abundante información al respecto, se requiere una revisión crítica de las definiciones existentes.Objetivo. Realizar una revisión crítica del concepto actual de fallo terapéutico, su clasificación y su importancia en farmacovigilancia.Materiales y métodos. Dos revisores independientes realizaron una búsqueda sistemática de las definiciones de fallo terapéutico existentes en la literatura y de los sistemas de clasificación descritos. Con base en esta información, se realizó un análisis crítico y la proposición de una nueva definición consensuada de fallo terapéutico.Resultados. La concepción actual de fallo terapéutico es imperfecta, pues desconoce la disminución del efecto de un medicamento en el uso real en comparación con el periodo de precomercialización, donde la estimación de la eficacia se basa en ensayos clínicos controlados. Aunque la clasificación actual es adecuada, tanto el algoritmo de Vaca-González et al. como las otras herramientas empleadas para evaluar la causalidad en farmacovigilancia dependen de la calidad del reporte.Conclusiones. Es necesario perfeccionar las definiciones actuales de fallo terapéutico y mejorar la calidad del reporte para sacar el máximo provecho de los sistemas de clasificación. Se propone realizar estudios clínicos pragmáticos para los medicamentos comercializados recientemente con el fin de establecer su verdadero perfil de efectividad y seguridad.Introduction: Therapeutic failure is a public health problem. Although there is abundant theory, a critical review of existing definitions is required.Objective: To critically review the current concept of therapeutic failure, its classification and importance in pharmacovigilance.Materials and methods: Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic search of the existing definitions of treatment failure, as well as the classification systems described in the relevant literature. Based on this information, a critical analysis was carried out and a new consensual definition of therapeutic failure was proposed.Results: The current understanding of therapeutic failure is defective as it does not consider the decrease in drug effect in real life use compared to the premarketing period, where the estimate of efficacy is based on controlled clinical trials. Although the current classification is adequate, both the algorithm of Vaca-González et al. and other tools used to assess pharmacovigilance causality depend on the quality of the report.Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the current definitions of therapeutic failure, as well as the quality of the reports to take full advantage of the classification systems. Pragmatic clinical studies for newly marketed drugs are proposed in order to establish their true effectiveness and safety profile.
Introduction: Therapeutic failure is a public health problem. Although there is abundant theory, a critical review of existing definitions is required. Objective: To critically review the current concept of therapeutic failure, its classification and importance in pharmacovigilance. Materials and methods: Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic search of the existing definitions of treatment failure, as well as the classification systems described in the relevant literature. Based on this information, a critical analysis was carried out and a new consensual definition of therapeutic failure was proposed. Results: The current understanding of therapeutic failure is defective as it does not consider the decrease in drug effect in real life use compared to the premarketing period, where the estimate of efficacy is based on controlled clinical trials. Although the current classification is adequate, both the algorithm of Vaca-González et al. and other tools used to assess pharmacovigilance causality depend on the quality of the report. Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the current definitions of therapeutic failure, as well as the quality of the reports to take full advantage of the classification systems. Pragmatic clinical studies for newly marketed drugs are proposed in order to establish their true effectiveness and safety profile.
