The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) may soon ink a pact with the department of consumer affairs to establish a patient centric helpline number for the general public to enable reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) directly. Through this initiative, IPC hopes to ensure timely reporting of ADRs from the patients across the country by providing them a platform that will directly involve them in the Pharmacovigilence Programme of India (PvPI).

IPC who is actively considering this matter with the ministry officials with utmost urgency, is understood to be working towards empowering the patients with the right to report on any issues related to the medicines.  This India initiative will focus on sensitising the public on the need for timely reporting on the ADRs for the benefit of the patients at large.

“Our vision is to provide a window of reporting to the patients of this country, so that they can directly get in touch with us on their problems and issues relating to the drugs. This will cut short the time taken by the regulators to take the required steps to safeguard the interest of the public ensuring a better and effective ADRs. Right now, we are discussing on the modalities that are required to get through this huge project which will further strengthen the PvPI programme.”

He further informed that this initiative will be considered in the lines of the highly impressive 'jago grahak jago' campaign, only this time patients will be the main audience for this service. With the help of the ministry, IPC plans to issue a toll free number on its website that will be accessible to all the patients across the country so as to report on any ADRs.

Data or the information collected through them will be directly sent to the researchers and scientist designated for the same from the relevant field for further details. Once the required investigation is done and if the complaint is found to be of serious nature required steps will be immediately taken by the drug controller generals office.

This strategic pro-patient initiative is one of the many steps that the IPC has been taking in the recent time to further boost and strengthen the PvPI. The commission which acts as the National Coordinating Centre (NCC) for PvPI recently also informed its intention to further expand add 100 new ADR monitoring centres across the country by end of 2013.