Pharmacovigilance – A Need for Best Patient Care in Pakistan. A review

The drug is unique commodity as being life saving and improves quality of life when used rationally, but it becomes life threatening when used irrationally/ inappropriately. Efficacy, safety and quality of the drugs are three most important characteristics in any registration criteria anywhere on the globe. However, pre registration research/studies on theses aspects can not be extrapolated to effectiveness of drugs under real user conditions. Drug related morbidity and mortality (DRMM) including adverse drug reaction (ADR) is a universal costly problem. The fast growing discipline Pharmacovigilance (PV) focuses on multiple activities which are specifically aimed to improve patient care, assessment of benefit /rationality/safety/effectiveness/risks notification in relation to drug therapy/ quality of medicines and prevention of ADR or any other drug-related problem (DRP). Pharmacovigilance is now at the top of health care all over globe but unfortunately it is practically non-existent in Pakistan. We desperately needs to design/develop and implement vibrant Pharmacovigilance system through collaborative efforts of academia, health care providers including pharmacist , patient ,manufacturer ,government , media , civil society, Uppsala Monitoring Center (UMC), Sweden operating under World Health Organization (WHO), FDA, ISoP. and other international organization working on drug safety. All concerned in drug delivery system must believe in the notion that disease related mortality is sometimes unavoidable but drug related death is now unacceptable. The costs of any ADR becomes high when trust of patients in the health care system is lost.Pakistan needs to think globally while acting locally while designing and implementing PV-programme for best patient care.Implementing concept of Pharmaceutical Care would give an in built Pharmacovigilance within health care system of Pakistan.Pharmacist should take PV as an opportunity for best patient care in Pakistan.