Role of Pharmacovigilance in Drug Safety Monitoring

With the introduction of more and more drugs, modern medicine has succeeded in saving mankind from many fatal infections and other diseases. As newer drugs are brought into the market, the reported adverse drug events also increase. Drug safety measures include meticulous premarketing trials, post-marketing surveillance, avoidance of errors from drug prescription to administration, and ensuring the availability of quality medicines at healthcare facilities. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of pharmacological side effects and idiosyncratic drug reactions are of utmost importance. Pharmacovigilance program helps to compile data on preventable and non-preventable adverse drug events through vigilant monitoring, utilizes the data to recommend regulations, and conveys information on potential risks associated with specific medicines to all stakeholders. The advances in technology, including artificial intelligence, offer unlimited scope to expand pharmacovigilance services. In this review, we have attempted to discuss the functioning and prospects of the pharmacovigilance program with a special focus on cutaneous adverse drug reactions.