ROLE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACIST IN PHARMACOVIGILENCE

Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) defines pharmacovigilance as the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse drug reactions or any other possible drug related problems.1 Pharamcovigilance is important for the safe and efficient usage of drugs. Pharmacovigilance is just not an indicator it’s a discipline for detecting and reporting ADRs.2,3 In 1968 after thalidomide tragedy (phocomelia in babies, whose mothers have taken thalidomide during pregnancy) WHO established adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting system. WHO defines ADR as any response to a drug which is harmful and accidental and occurs at doses that are normally used in human for prophylaxis, diagnosis, treatment or the mitigation of disease.1The Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) is the WHO cooperating center for global pharmacovigilance. The aim of UMC is to support and publicize patient protection through efficacious and worldwide pharmacovigilance practice. It provides autonomous and high excellent medical reference sources universally. It encourages indigenous pharmacovigilance initiatives by giving approach to passable resources and providing appropriate assistance.1Pre marketing clinical trials do not give the sufficient knowledge about adverse drug reactions because the minimum number of population is included in these clinical trials and exposure time of targeted drug is also short so clinical trials are unable to detect those ADRs who are race specific or occur in 1/1000 or 1/10,000 ratio. Post marketing surveillance and pharmacovigilance are the essential steps to ensure the safety and efficacy of drug.4,5 Pakistan FrameworkThe government of Pakistan in collaboration with drug regulatory authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has started the online pharmacovigilance (PVRSD) system in 2017. This program collects information from medicals professionals, pharmaceutical companies and patients on ADRs.6 Role of PharmacistThe professional responsibility of community pharmacist is far more than just preparing and dispensing medicines. Pharmacist can play a patient centric role by ensuring the safety of medicines through pharmacovigilance. Community pharmacists can ensure the safe and efficacious use of medicines by identifying and commentating ADRs.4Community pharmacists can play there part in safe usage of medication and prevention of ADRs.1 The data composed by community pharmacists on pharmacovigilance is worthwhile.7The role of pharmacist in pharmacovigilance differs from state to state but the professional concern remains similar irrespective of territories.6 Community pharmacists can report ADRs based on their clinical experience and interacting and counseling with the patients at community pharmacy. The pharmacovigilance program of government can only be successful if the community pharmacists play their role actively in reporting ADRs. The most important step for the pharmacovigilane is to inform the all healthcare practitioners.1Community pharmacists can act as a bridge between physicians and patients to ensure drug safety and efficacy. Community pharmacists can prevent ADRs by counseling with patients and providing them communication materials newsletters and other drug information resources utilized by other healthcare professionals for drug safety information.8Community pharmacists can educate and counsel patients in order to reduce medication errors and to improve the patient’s quality of life.8In our community pharmacy setting most of the pharmacists do no report ADRs because they are not acquainted with the ADR reporting process.9Apart from reporting ADRs community pharmacists can play their role by keeping the record of identified ADRs at their workplace. Community pharmacists can also contribute in drug safety by updating their knowledge regarding new drug inventions and aspects of drugs. For pharmacovigilance pharmacist should have a sound regarding the usage of over the counter medications.6Pharmaovigilance knowledge can strengthen the role of community pharmacist in a productive way. Educational trainings and workshops can improve the understanding of community pharmacists regarding ADR identification and reporting. This can assist the community pharmacists to perform a better part in pharmacovigilance and safe usage of medications.