Enabling Improved Patient Safety in Resource-limited Settings: New Tool for Pharmacovigilance
Enabling Improved Patient Safety in Resource-limited Settings: New Tool for Pharmacovigilance
An integrated approach to monitoring the safety of medicines that includes both active surveillance and spontaneous reporting is essential to a well-functioning pharmaceutical sector. Active surveillance is particularly important to support the introduction of new essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where regulatory systems are often still developing and need support.
In such resource-limited settings, active surveillance can help determine the real-life frequency, risk factors, and impact of clinically significant adverse drug events on treatment outcomes in the population.
With the aim of improving pharmacovigilance activities in LMICs, the USAID-funded, MSH-led Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) program created its newest tool, the Pharmacovigilance Monitoring System (PViMS). Launched in December, PViMS is a web-based application used by clinicians, regulatory bodies, and implementing partners to monitor the safety of medicines. PViMS enables the implementation of active surveillance activities in resource-limited settings by addressing the entire data collection, data analysis and reporting process. This allows decision makers to identify potential adverse events related to medicine use, and consequently implement decisions for improving patient safety.