Pharmacovigilance: everything you need to know!

Pharmacovigilance is the science or set of activities that investigates any adverse event or any other type of reaction related to the use of medications. This goes for herbal medicines, traditional, homeopathic, biological products, health and vaccines. Due to several restrictions and quality standards given by FDA, companies that deal with pharmaceutical products, hire professional Pharmacovigilance Consultants to get the approval for selling the products in the USA.

The main tool of Pharmacovigilance is spontaneous notification by health professionals. In other words: when there is a suspicion of an adverse reaction, loss of efficacy, intoxication, among other problems related to the use of a medication, the professional must notify the surveillance centers and the laboratory.

Pharmacovigilance is nothing more than being attentive to the drug. In addition to the adverse event, it is also up to this science:

  • Questioning the quality of the medication
  • Check his therapeutic effectiveness
  • Investigate medication errors
  • Find out abusive uses, intoxications and drug interactions
  • Denounce the use of medicines for indications not approved in the registry.

What is the function of Pharmacovigilance?

When concerned with effectiveness, quality, safety, among other medicinal properties, Pharmacovigilance has as one of its main objectives to improve the selection and rational use of medicines by the population.

With this care and the early detection of problems and adverse events related to the administration of drugs, the area also shows concern for the patient's health, offering clearer parameters for assessment.

Ultimately, its function promotes understanding, teaching and clinical training in Pharmacovigilance, as well as its assertive communication with the general public.

The importance of Pharmacovigilance in health

Medicines are important agents in health and have a great responsibility in improving people's quality of life. However, in order to be effective, they need to be used properly and safely.

The Pharmacovigilance plays an important role in health, it is able to identify problems related to the use of drugs, in order to prevent and minimize any risks to the health of patients, such as adverse events. When there is a problem in the use of medications, such as adverse reactions, loss of efficacy, intoxications and other events, the health professional must notify the Pharmacovigilance centers and the laboratory responsible for the medication.

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals can analyze and prescribe the most appropriate drug to treat a patient. Access to this information, in addition to allowing doctors to offer the most appropriate treatment to the patient, produces beneficial results and prevents a series of unwanted reactions.

Source: 

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