PHARMA LITERATI

In its renewed bid to conduct studies related to specific drugs and its adverse events, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has identified 24 institutions to carry out intensive ADR monitoring exercise under the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), according to a senior official associated with the development. IPC under the Union health ministry is the National Coordination Centre (NCC) for PvPI. IPC had earlier come out with draft guidelines focused on targeted drugs and events as a part of intensive adverse drug reaction monitoring exercise under PvPI so that action could be taken on specific drugs involving adverse reactions. “Stressing on the need for safe and efficacious drugs in the country, the intensive ADR monitoring exercise is envisaged to generate adverse drug reaction related events in real time and on scientific basis. The idea is to integrate this exercise with our public healthcare system for drug quality and hence patient safety”, acc...

Having generated over three lakh adverse drug reaction (ADR) data as part of Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) ever since its inception in 2010, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has set a mandate to set up a total of 300 ADR monitoring centres (AMCs) by 2020 with focus on North Eastern (NE) states. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had launched PvPI in July 2010 with Ghaziabad-based IPC as the National Co-Ordinating Centre (NCC). “IPC is in the process of identifying district hospitals in NE states which wish to participate as AMCs under the PvPI at district level. We would be holding talks with Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM), Kolkata in the coming days to further the expansion in NE states,” informed Secretary-cum-Scientific Director IPC Dr G N Singh. CSTM, Kolkata is dedicated to research, care and cure of tropical diseases. It is the only institution in India engaged exclusively in research, post-graduate education an...

In order to develop effective and sustainable pharmacovigilance practices for member countries of the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (WHO-PIDM), the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has trained 30 participants from countries like Sweden, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Congo, Swaziland, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Maldives, Botswana, Oman, Philippines, Malaysia, Ethiopia and India to build capacity in pharmacovigilance (PV) for promoting safe use of medicines. The training programme, 5th Asia Pacific Pharmacovigilance Training Course which recently concluded, was aimed at integrating the public health programmes of member countries with PV activities towards drug safety. The training was well received as the participants were acquainted on basic knowledge and understanding the concept of pharmacovigilance. Overall this training programme will be useful in strengthening pharmacovigilance activity at their respective organizations/countries in order to protect the safety and wel...