Symposium on pharmacovigilance standards held for enhancing patient safety

Islamabad:In a bid to enhance patient safety and strengthen drug monitoring protocols on a national scale, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the Pakistan Pharmacist Association (PPA) collaborated with Islamabad-based Dr. Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital (ANTH) to host a groundbreaking symposium titled ‘Ensuring Patient Safety through Pharmacovigilance.’ Subsequent to the symposium, ANTH, DRAP, and PPA jointly inaugurated the ANTH Pharmacovigilance Center, establishing a vital link to DRAP’s National Pharmacovigilance Centre, says a press release.

Dignitaries including DRAP CEO Asim Rauf, President of PPA Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, and DRAP’s Director of Pharmacy Services, Dr. Obaid Ullah, graced the symposium, held at ANTH, with their presence, emphasizing the significance of this collaboration in administering pharmacovigilance initiatives.

Yasir Khan Niazi, CEO of ANTH and Islamabad Medical & Dental College, Director Hospitals Dr Raja Amjad Mahmood, Director ANTH Dr Areej Neyazi, clinical HoDs, and pharmacists from the hospital as well as various other healthcare institutions, were also in attendance.

PPA President Sardar Shabir addressed the audience and highlighted the importance of reporting adverse drug reactions and implementing pharmacovigilance processes at hospital levels to safeguard every patient from adverse drug reactions.

Speaking on this occasion, Yasir Niazi said that “Since the ADR reporting rate in Pakistan is suboptimal and does not meet the WHO standard, ANTH steps up and remains committed to supporting DRAP and PPA in enhancing ADR reporting practices for reducing the number of the sufferers of ADRs.” He further stressed the need of integrating pharmacovigilance into medical education for widespread impact, especially in rural areas.

Asim Rauf emphasised, “This collaborative initiative represents a significant leap forward in addressing patient safety and adverse drug reactions through robust pharmacovigilance protocols with firm dedication and strategic coordination.” Dr. Obaid Ullah shed light on future plans, revealing that the collaboration aims to establish a country-level awareness plan to enhance reporting rates, expert safety review panels nationwide, integrating technical infrastructure, capacity building, and. He further told that the support includes launching VigiFlow pilot projects and implementing active surveillance systems with Public Health Programs for timely regulatory decisions and signal detection.

Sardar Shabbir and Asim Rauf extended gratitude to ANTH management for their proactive engagement in addressing the critical issue of adverse drug reaction reporting. The symposium proved to be a knowledge-rich platform for participants, particularly pharmacists and clinicians, who lauded its informative nature and potential for enhancing patient care standards with improved safety protocols. The collective resolve of ANTH, DRAP, and PPA to continue collaborating underscored a shared commitment to advancing patient care in Pakistan through pharmacovigilance excellence.