The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is in talks with health research institutions like Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for devising strategies for effective use of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) information for health research in Indian population for patient safety.

The ADR data is currently collected through 250 ADR monitoring centres (AMCs) across the country as part of pharmacovigilance programme of India (PvPI) launched by Central Drugs Standard Control organisation (CDSCO) in July 2010 with Ghaziabad-based IPC as the national co-ordinating centre (NCC).

Simultaneously, as part of the strategy, the union health ministry is also planning to strengthen the existing AMCs to increase ADR monitoring and get pan India ADR information effectively.

Explains IPC Scientific Director Dr G N Singh, “The emphasis is on how ADR data can be used for research through data mining and also developing information technology tools and apps for better monitoring and reporting through adverse drug reaction monitoring centres in the country as part of the PvPI.”

IPC will further take PvPI forward in hospitals across the country so that it could also be implemented at PHC and taluka-level health centres to get pan India qualitative and substantive ADR information.

As of today, there are in total 250 AMCs in the country. Around 40 AMCs were established last year at district hospitals based in the North Eastern part of India, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Union health ministry is aggressively planning to explore possibilities of identifying district hospitals across the country to be developed as AMCs.

Medical colleges, hospitals and institutes approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI) can act as AMCs. Once enrolled, they are required to efficiently collect the ADR information from the patients, do follow up with them to check the completeness of the ADR reports.

IPC serves as a nodal agency for the AMCs. The registered AMCs across the country play an important role in timely reporting of ADRs to IPC. Once enrolled, IPC also provides logistical and technical support to AMCs for their smooth functioning.