JAMMU: The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur, Jammu has recently been designated as an Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring Centre under the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), according to an official announcement on Sunday.
Dr. Sonia Shinde Mahajan, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Deputy Coordinator of the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Centre at AIIMS Vijaypur, Jammu, stated that the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India was initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (GoI) in 2010. The programme’s National Coordinating Centre is located at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in Ghaziabad. Currently, there are approximately 250 recognized adverse drug reaction monitoring centres (AMCs) operating under PvPI.
Dr. Mahajan revealed that the primary objective of the Adverse Drug Reactions Monitoring Centre at AIIMS Jammu is to diligently report any adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occurring within the institute, as well as those reported from nearby areas, hospitals, and health centers, to the NCC PvPI. The center also aims to perform causality assessments of the reported ADRs, communicate the findings to all stakeholders, raise awareness among the general public about ADR reporting methods, organize educational activities, workshops, and continuing medical education (CME) sessions for healthcare professionals, and focus on preventing ADRs.
“In today’s world, where humanity faces various risks, ensuring safety is of paramount importance, whether it is road safety, workplace safety, or safety within our homes. The same applies to medicines. Every day, we consume some form of medication or another,” stated the expert.
Dr. Mahajan further emphasized the significance of considering the safety of medicines alongside their effectiveness, as all medications have the potential to cause adverse effects, which may occur when they are administered.
She explained that Pharmacovigilance, as defined by the World Health Organization, is the “science that deals with the detection, assessment, understanding, and reporting of adverse effects of medicines or any other drug-related problems.”
Healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, consumers/patients, and pharmaceutical companies can report ADRs. Reporting can be done through Suspected Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Forms, available in multiple languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, and Bengali, as mentioned by Dr. Mahajan.
“ADRs are preventable, and their prevention lies in reporting them for the sake of safety,” concluded Dr. Mahajan.
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