There is no activity in life which is completely safe whether it is the act of boiling water or flying an aeroplane. In all our activities we balance the risks against the benefits, trying to minimise the risks where we can.
Medicinal products are very safe, that is, the benefits are much greater than the risks.
On the other hand there IS always a risk side when we take a drug whether it is for a headache or to treat cancer. Not all the risks from drugs, better called medicinal products, are known when such a product is first marketed. Since there is no programme of testing prior to the marketing of a medicinal product that will find all the risks of its use in everyday clinical situations, we must learn by experience. The UMC is dedicated to finding the risks of drugs as early as possible, from reported clinical experience and other sources. We are focused on aiding health professionals and patients throughout the world to make the best benefit risk assessments on drug treatment both for individuals and for general public health reasons.