As a research and development organization, we strive to improve the safety of medicines, alongside with key stakeholders around the world. – How do medicines cause harm? – How to reduce the risk of harm from medicine? Smart therapeutic decisions that give patients the greatest benefit with the least risk must be made jointly by healthcare providers and patients. The patient must understand, anticipate, and recognize the known negative side effects of the medicine; there must be a plan for when they first appear, and concerted action must be taken. The first step is to report the problem to your doctor. Taking the medicine as directed, completing the course, avoiding interactions with other foods or medicines, and following prescription recommendations all help reduce the chance of harm. Understanding the experience of treating patients and particularly the harm they may suffer is an important aspect of patient care and public health. Recognizing and reporting side effects, as well as the lack of effect and even unexpected benefits will help improve treatment and prevent harm to other patients in the future. As patients, we can all report the effects of treatment to our doctor or pharmacist, particularly harmful effects. When we report a problem to them, they should discuss it with us, diagnose the cause of the problem, and agree with us on what needs to be done. Medicines can affect many aspects of a patient’s life, not just through their specific effects on the disease. Side effects, even mild ones, can adversely affect patients’ work or lifestyle (for example, causing drowsiness and inability to drive). Recording these aspects of therapy is critical to fully understanding patients’ experiences, but is beyond the scope of most current medical records or reports.