Explain Pharmacovigilance?
Pharmacovigilance is the science that enables us to measure, detect, assess, understand and prevent adverse effects of drugs. It is a meticulous way of continual monitoring for unwanted side effects and other safety-related issues of drugs that are in development and also those that are already being sold in the market.
Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) is a response to a medicine which is harmful and unintended, and which occurs at doses usually used in man for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of disease or the change of physiological functions.
A Serious Adverse Event (Experience) or Reaction is any untoward medical incidence that at any dose results in death, is life-threatening, requires patient hospitalization, or prolongation of existing hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, causes a congenital anomaly or birth defect, and requires an intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage.
An Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Case Report is a notification relating to a patient with an adverse medical event or laboratory test abnormality suspected to be induced by a medicine.
Structure of National Pharmacovigilance Centre
The existing structure of the National Pharmacovigilance Centre in Nigeria contains Pharmacovigilance unit of NAFDAC and the National Drug Safety Advisory Committee whose members also act as Zonal Pharmacovigilance Coordinators. There exist across the country, pockets of pharmacovigilance centers devotedly working in health care units.
Pharmacovigilance Scope in Nigeria
Pharmacovigilance activities in Nigeria involve inspecting the following: Vaccines and Biological products; Drugs; Blood products; Herbal, complimentary and traditional medicines; Cosmetics and Chemicals; Medical devices.
People with qualifications related to pharmacovigilance can find employment with the regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations and other companies that provide specialised pharmacovigilance services.
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