Reports received by FDA, by month

March 2021: adverse event reports received by FDA

128,559 drug reports (FAERS) and 209,484 device reports (MAUDE).

Read first · FDA's statement on these data

Adverse event reports submitted to FDA do not undergo extensive validation or verification. Therefore, a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report. While a suspected relationship may exist, it is not medically validated and should not be the sole source of information for clinical decision making or other assumptions about the safety or efficacy of a product. Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product. openFDA, FDA

FDA adds: "There is no certainty that the reported event (adverse event or medication error) was actually due to the product. FDA does not require that a causal relationship between a product and event be proven, and reports do not always contain enough detail to properly evaluate an event." The information in these reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Do not rely on openFDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated.

Not medical advice. This site counts what was reported to FDA. Questions about a medicine or device belong with a pharmacist or clinician.

128,559
drug reports received: 125,417 a year earlier; 121,617
monthly average, preceding 12 months: 5.7% against the average; 209,484
device reports received: 136,266 a year earlier

FDA received 128,559 drug adverse event reports in March 2021, against 125,417 in the same month a year earlier and a monthly average of 121,617 over the preceding 12 months. The MAUDE device database received 209,484 reports that month (136,266 a year earlier).

The drugs listed most often as suspect products were Zantac (8,261), Ranitidine (6,221) and Revlimid (3,849), and the reactions recorded most often were drug ineffective (12,500), off label use (6,216) and death (5,472).

Relative to their own average over the preceding 12 months, the drugs whose report count rose most were Saxenda (14.2× its average), Palbace (10.3× its average) and Budesonide Formoterol Fumarate (10.1× its average). A jump in one month usually reflects a batch of reports from a manufacturer, a publicised event or a new product, not a change in what happens to patients.

Drug reports by month, three years to March 2021

Drugs listed most often as suspect products

Drug	Reports	Share of the month
Zantac	8,261	6.4%
Ranitidine	6,221	4.8%
Revlimid	3,849	3%
Dupixent	3,053	2.4%
Humira	2,478	1.9%
Prednisone	2,145	1.7%
Cosentyx	1,654	1.3%
Xeljanz	1,597	1.2%
Rituximab	1,546	1.2%
Entresto	1,422	1.1%
Apixaban	1,388	1.1%
Methotrexate	1,344	1%
Ranitidine hydrochloride	1,289	1%
Neulasta	1,079	0.8%
Enbrel	1,076	0.8%

FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Largest rises against their own average

Drug	Reports this month	Times its 12-month average
Saxenda	230	14.2×
Palbace	124	10.3×
Budesonide Formoterol Fumarate	320	10.1×
Rytary	874	7.8×
Aclidinium bromide	75	7.4×
Covid 19 Vaccine	213	7.3×
Lutathera	100	7.1×
Erivedge	389	7×

Drugs with at least 50 reports in the month and an average of at least 10 a month over the preceding year. A rise usually reflects a batch of manufacturer reports, a publicised event or a new product.

Reactions recorded most often

MedDRA term	Reports	Share of the month
Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected	12,500	9.7%
Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label	6,216	4.8%
Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term	5,472	4.3%
Fatiguetiredness	4,641	3.6%
Nauseafeeling sick	4,010	3.1%
Product dose omission issuea dose was missed	3,871	3%
Dyspnoeashortness of breath	3,841	3%
Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools	3,704	2.9%
Painpain, site not specified	3,530	2.7%
Headachehead pain	3,242	2.5%
Rashskin rash	3,109	2.4%
Inappropriate schedule of product administrationthe product was taken at the wrong times	2,775	2.2%
Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness	2,645	2.1%
Covid-19COVID-19 infection	2,634	2%
Pruritusitching	2,406	1.9%

Devices named most often

Brand	Reports	Share of device reports
Libre Sensor Freestyle	43,017	20.5%
Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System	23,327	11.1%
Libre 2 Sensor FreeStyle	8,751	4.2%
FreeStyle Libre Sensor 14 Day	6,285	3%
t:slim X2 Insulin Pump with Control-IQ Technology	5,697	2.7%
Pump MMT-1780KPK 670G Pathway Black MG	2,557	1.2%
Alaris Pump Module	2,378	1.1%
t:slim X2 Insulin Pump with Basal-IQ Technology	1,898	0.9%
640G Insulin Pump MMT-1712K	1,406	0.7%
LifeVest WCD 4000 System	1,265	0.6%

Questions about March 2021

How many adverse event reports did FDA receive in March 2021?

128,559 drug reports are in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, and 209,484 device reports in the MAUDE release of 28 Sep 2026. The same month a year earlier has 125,417 drug reports.

Which drugs were listed most often?

Zantac (8,261), Ranitidine (6,221), Revlimid (3,849), Dupixent (3,053) and Humira (2,478).

Which reactions were recorded most often?

drug ineffective (12,500), off label use (6,216), death (5,472), fatigue (4,641) and nausea (4,010).

Can the count for a month still change?

Yes. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Older months change little.

Does a busy month mean something happened that month?

Not by itself. The date is when FDA received the report, not when the event occurred, and volume follows manufacturer batches, product launches and publicity. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.