Pharmacovigilance: Safeguarding Vision

Abstract

Pharmacovigilance defined by the World Health Organization as 'the science and activities relating todetection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem' plays a key role in ensuring that patients receive safe drugs. Our knowledge of drug's adverse reactions can be increased by various means, including spontaneous reporting; intensive 1monitoring and database studies.Thalidomide was marketed in 1957 and was considered harmless for use in pregnancy by the 1manufacturer. However, its use during pregnancy led to development of abnormal fetal and limb 2 deformities in 46 countries world wide. The thalidomide tragedy served as a catalyst for the formation of Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) as the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring. UMC operates the technical and scientific aspects of the WHO' sworld wide 3 pharma covigilance network. Reports from adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are stored in a global database (VigiBase) and can be used by health professionals to evaluate the associations between various medications and associated ADRs. Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), established Pakistan National Pharmacovigilance Centre (PNPC) in 2015, under the division of Pharmacy Services to provide a basic framework for the implementation of pharmacovigilance programme of Pakistan at provincial and national 4 level. National data (VigiFlow) is directly connected to WHO Global Database (VigiBase).