Starting a pharmacovigilance center: Actions for implementation

Abstract

With burgeoning reports of adverse drug reactions due to pharmacotherapy, pharmacovigilance (PV) is the buzz word in health care circles. While there are experts in this rapidly expanding fi eld, there are many health care professionals who do not fully appreciate the import of PV in the context of modern therapeutics. In view of the national directive to institutionalize a PV center in every medical college of India, there is an urgent need to inform, educate, and enlighten the readers about the constitution and dynamics of a PV center, which this article attempts to fulfi ll.

Keywords: Pharmacovigilance; adverse drug reactions; drug safety; pharmacovigilance