If the FDA deems a drug safe enough to approve, it means that the benefits outweigh the known risks. The medications you take play an important role in your overall health. But all medications have possible side effects, warnings, and drug interactions, so it's important to understand your treatments, expected results, and alternative medical options.1
The benefits of medicine are the beneficial effects you get, such as relieving pain, controlling blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, or curing an infection.
The risks of medicines are the possible unwanted or unexpected effects that may happen to you when you use them. Risks can be minor, like a mild upset stomach or headache, or more serious, like an increased risk of bleeding or liver damage.