“Implementing the pharmacovigilance system and publishing this journal, we were helping healthcare providers cultivate the sense of professional and civic responsibility”

Abstract

The origins of the journal Safety and Risk of Pharmacotherapy date back to 1994. The journal was published as Safety of Medicinal Products, Safety of Medicines, and Safety of Medicinal Products and Pharmacovigilance. In Russia, this journal has always been the only specialised scientific publication covering exclusively the safety of pharmacotherapy. Alla V. Astakhova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, headed the journal from 1994 to 2015.The history of the journal is closely intertwined with the history of the pharmacovigilance system in Russia. Vladimir K. Lepakhin, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the Russian pharmacovigilance system. This joint interview with Alla V. Astakhova and Vladimir K. Lepakhin presents the major milestones in the development of the journal and the Russian pharmacovigilance system.