Importance of pharmacovigilance!!!

                                

WHY PHARMACOVIGILANCE?

The information collected during the pre-marketing phase of a medical drug is inevitably incomplete with regard to possible adverse reactions (for definition see Glossary):

• tests in animals are insufficiently predictive of human safety

• in clinical trials patients are selected and limited in number, the conditions of use differ from those in clinical practice and the duration of trials is limited

• information about rare but serious adverse reactions, chronic toxicity, use in special groups (such as children, the elderly or pregnant women) or drug interactions is often incomplete or not available.

Pharmacovigilance is needed in every country, because there are differences between countries (and even regions within countries) in the occurrence of adverse drug reactions and other drug-related problems. This may be because of differences in:

• drug production

• distribution and use (e.g. indications, dose, availability)

• genetics, diet, traditions of the people

• pharmaceutical quality and composition (excipients) of locally produced pharmaceutical products

• the use of non-orthodox drugs (e.g. herbal remedies) which may pose special toxicological problems, when used alone or in combination with other drugs.

Data derived from within the country or region may have greater relevance and educational value and may encourage national regulatory decision-making. Information obtained in a certain country (e.g. the country of origin of the drug) may not be relevant to other parts of the world, where circumstances may be different. When information from a region itself is not available, it may take longer before a problem becomes known to drug regulatory authorities, physicians, pharmacists, patients and pharmaceutical companies.

On the other hand, international monitoring such as the WHO International Drug Monitoring Programme may provide information on possible safety issues which may not yet have emerged within the country’s data. Pharmacovigilance is needed for the prevention of drug-induced human suffering and to avoid financial risks associated with unexpected adverse effects. In conclusion, medicines on the market need continuous monitoring in every country.