National Coordination Centre (NCC) at Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, organised two Continuing Medical Education (CME) on pharmacovigilance. While the first training session was held at Srinagar, the second CME was conducted at Himachal Pradesh.

The training which is part of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) aimed to create awareness related to patient safety and improving Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) reporting culture in India. Doctors, pharmacists, nurses of state health and medical education departments apart from other healthcare professionals who are engaged in playing a vital role in reporting of suspected ADRs were the participants of the two sessions, stated Dr V Kalaiselvan, senior scientific officer, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.

The CME highlighted on ADR reporting, causality assessment, risk management of drugs and greater participation in the PvPI in order to strengthen mutual co-operation in patient safety, he added.

The NCC organised the first CME at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS), at Srinagar (J&K). Prof. Showkat Ali Zargar, director (SKIMS) inaugurated the programme which had over 150 delegates including clinicians, pharmacists and nurses participate in the training session.

The second CME was held at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Kangra at Tanda, Himachal Pradesh. This event had over 280 delegates participate. It was inaugurated by G S Bali, Minister, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Government of Himachal Pradesh who emphasized the need to ensure administration of safe and affordable medicines to the population.