In a move to further bolster the Pharmcovigilence Programme of India (PvPI), the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) recently added 23 new adverse drug reaction monitoring centres (AMCs) under its ambit. With this addition, IPC successfully established its foot prints across all major locations in the country, for effective ADR monitoring bringing the total number of AMCs under it to 202.
To ensure robust functioning of the pharmacovigilence activities, IPC for the first time identified some specialised hospitals as AMCs. These specialised hospitals, now acting as AMCs will open up whole new database on capturing of ADRs of the niche disease profiles they cater to, like never before. Apart from collaborating with district level hospital’s for ADRs reporting, new AMCS were strategically identified to ensure pan India presence, based on the existence and non existence of the AMCs in the states and union territories.
Dr V Kalaiselvan, principal scientific officer, IPC informed that to ensure quality reporting of ADRS and ensure patient safety, IPC, which acts as the national coordinating centre (NCC) for the PvPI is currently focusing on capacity building measures and skill development of these AMCS. He stressed that since pharmacovigilance programme plays a vital role in ensuring the drugs’ safety, it is important to focus on upgrading the current reporting culture of ADRs under PvPI. This are being done through proper induction, regular training and awareness programme, he added.
“We can ensure success of this programme, only if we can effectively use it to create awareness in ADRs reporting among health care professionals under PvPI. Lack of knowledge of where, what and how ADRs should be reported also affects reporting. So our key focus is on skill development. Through this we aim to achieve maximum participation with quality reporting 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,” Dr Kalaiselvan informed.