The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) recently added 30 new adverse drug reaction monitoring centres (AMCs) under the Pharmcovigilence Programme of India (PvPI) bringing the total number of AMCs under its ambit to 180. Interestingly IPC, which acts as the national coordinating centre (NCC) for the PvPI have selected two AMCs from northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh for the first time.

This strategic move is aimed at keeping in lines with its commitment to spread and expand the scope of PvPI across different geographical locations of the country to ensure patient safety. Dr V Kalaiselvan, principal scientific officer, IPC informed that to make a greater impact and get maximum results under this programme, these AMCs were identified based on the existence and non existence of the AMCs in the states and union territories.

It is understood that to widen the scope of PvPI and strengthen the evidence based information special focus was given to identify AMCs from those locations that had no ADR centres in the earlier list of 150. According to Dr Kalaiselvan, preference is given to the states where there are no or less AMC existing based on population ratio of AMCs, outreach of PvPI to urban and rural India, infrastructure and expertise in pharmacovigilance, current progress of ADR reporting to PvPI etc.

“Our focus is to expand the PvPI programme in such way that we get maximum participation to strengthen the ADR reporting across the country. This is very important to ensure and improve patients’ safety and bring in awareness of drug safety practices on science-based solutions for the stakeholders,” he stressed.

In another development aimed at improving patient safety, increasing transparency and encouraging the reporting of adverse reactions, IPC recently announced its plan to integrate PvPI with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for rural pharmcovigilance. Keen to expand PvPI into rural community, Dr G N Singh, DCGI and chairman steering committee of PvPI, emphasised that though laudable progress is made in PvPI, the need of the hour is to work with ICMR to gather the scientific information of ICMR sponsored projects on pharmacovigilance and to make it available at NCC-PvPI as a rational approach. It is understood that he is keen on CDSCO and IPC to prepare a road map for expanding PvPI in urban and rural area of the country for ensuring safety of medicines.

It is reported that AMCs in PvPI would be given preference to carry out the ICMR projects on tribal, rural and urban pharmacovigilance.