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Adverse Event Reporting System

Meaning

The Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS, now known as FAERS at the FDA) is a mandatory, computerized information database designed to support the post-marketing safety surveillance of approved medical products, including pharmaceuticals, biologics, and dietary supplements. This critical public health mechanism systematically collects, monitors, and evaluates reports of unfavorable and unintended signs, symptoms, or diseases temporally associated with the use of a product. It serves as a cornerstone for pharmacovigilance, the science dedicated to the detection and assessment of drug safety throughout a product’s lifecycle. The system is essential for protecting the public from unforeseen risks after a product is released to the market.