Practical applications of regulatory requirements for signal detection and communications in pharmacovigilance

Pharmacovigilance is a field where communication is crucial, and exchange of information is expected to be done in a timely manner. Information from individual case reports is transmitted from pharmaceutical industry and health professionals to the regulatory authorities. The safety profile of a drug is established by analyzing individual cases and aggregate reports. The cumulative information, obtained from these reports, can be used to assist pharmacovigilance professionals in the detection of potential safety signals by monitoring evolving trends. If there is a message identifying concern as potential safety signal, the transmission of individual case reports, as well as cumulative and aggregate reports will occur from pharmaceutical industry to the regulators; and based on their assessments of causality in relationship to the drug, the regulatory decisions will be made. Once regulators confirming a signal as a possible safety alert have made the decision, the decisions and the reasons must be communicated to health professionals, the pharmaceutical industry, and other parties involved (e.g. clinical trials participants, investigators, consumers and medical professionals at post-marketing stage, etc.).