MedWatch
The FDA's public system for reporting drug side effects — how patient experience becomes safety data.
MedWatch is the FDA's adverse-event front door: anyone — patient, caregiver, clinician — can report a suspected drug side effect at fda.gov/medwatch or by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088. Reports feed the FAERS database, where safety signals too rare for any trial to catch become visible across millions of users.
The GLP-1 era is post-marketing surveillance's showcase: labels have evolved — gallbladder language, aspiration-under-anesthesia advisories — because reports accumulated. Reporting is worth the ten minutes whenever something serious or strange happens on a medication, independent of whether you also told your doctor (do both). It's the rare bureaucratic act that directly protects strangers.
This glossary entry is general information, not medical advice, and is written to be consistent with FDA prescribing information and primary trial publications as of its last review. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for personal medical decisions.
Questions about MedWatch? Ask a doctor free.
A licensed doctor can apply this to your health history in a free telehealth consultation — booking takes about two minutes, with programs from $149/month. You're only charged after approval.
Book an Appointment