The FDA puts a black box warning on medications when the side effects are considered extreme and/or serious. The reason it is called a black box warning is the wording of the warning is enclosed by a black border, usually a thicker border than the average line of an underlined word. The wording is usually in bold print and the warning is usually placed in a prominent position at the top of the insert that accompanies the medication and sometimes it may be placed on the prescription bottle but that is rare due to the limited available space on the medicine bottles.
Most people don’t typically read the black box warning because while it may be outlined with a black border it is still only black ink on white or colored sheets of paper. The border outlining the words is usually not thick enough to draw a lot of attention. The words black box warning don’t mean much to the average consumer. Maybe instead of “Black Box Warning” it should say “Dangerous Side Effects”. The box around the letters should not blend in with the regular type font on the page and it should be impossible to miss.