Abstract

HISTORY OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE AND DRUG SAFETY

Pooja Agrawal, Virendra Kushwaha*, Sameer Siddiqui, Nasreen Fatma Khan and Mangesh Tripathi

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Abstract

The history of Pharmacovigilance started 169 years ago, on Jan 29, 1848, when a young girl (Hannah Greener) from the north of England died after receiving chloroform anaesthetic before the removal of an infected toenail. The main objectives of Pharmacovigilance involve exhibiting the effectuality of medicine by observing their adverse impact profile for several years from the research lab to the pharmacy; trailing any forceful impact of drugs rising public health and safety concerning the utilization of medicines; encouraging the safe, rational and efficient use of drugs; promoting understanding, educations and clinical teaching in Pharmacovigilance; and effective communications to the general public. Pharmacovigilance needs to monitor the effects of drugs during clinical trials and after it in the market, Monitor the quality of drugs, Identify the health risks involved in the administration of certain drugs, etc. Pharmacovigilance may not rely upon one single method but needs a strategy of complementary activities. No single causality assessment method is universally acceptable. Therefore, a single universally acceptable efficient method is the demand of the time.

Keywords: Pharmacovigilance, Drugs, Monitor, Causality assessment.