Monitoring and Reporting Adverse Drug Reactions in India: Initiatives and Contributions from Pharmacists

Abstract

1Pharmacists have a major role in these activities and should promote the development, maintenance, and evaluation of such programs.2 Pharmacists are now being encouraged to participate and contribute to such programs in different parts of the world. In India, the concept of pharmaceutical care and pharmacists’ involvement in direct patient care is still at a preliminary stage, and the expertise of most pharmacy professionals is underutilized. The concept of “clinical pharmacy” itself is new, and health care professionals are not aware of the many patient care services that could be provided by pharmacists, including ADR monitoring and reporting. Only a few hospitals in India have a clinical pharmacist to provide patient care services. Reporting of ADRs is another aspect of medical care that is still in its infancy in India, and only a handful of hospitals have a system for ADR reporting. Pharmacists have been instrumental in initiating and coordinating such systems in many of these hospitals as part of their clinical pharmacy activities. Of late, there has been a fresh initiative from the government of India with the launch of a national pharmacovigilance program that is being operated in association with the World Health Organization pharmacovigilance program. Pharmacists have significant involvement in the national program as well, primarily