last updated 28-04-2025

Pharmacovigilence

The role of pharmacovigilance is to assess and the safety of the drug after market authorization.  

But why is this necessary and why do we do this?  

Before a drug is granted market authorization it must prove to be effective and safe for use. However, post marketing surveillance is needed to determine:  

  1. Long term effects  

  1. Large scale effects on a larger population than the phase 3 of the clinical trials  

  1. Trace uncommon side effects  

   

The specific aims of pharmacovigilance are to10 

  • Improve patient care and safety in relation to the use of medicines and all medical and paramedical interventions 

  •  Improve public health and safety in relation to the use of medicines  

  • Contribute to the assessment of benefit, harm, effectiveness and risk of medicines 

  • Encouraging the safe, rational and more effective (including cost-effectiveness) use of medicines  

  • Promote understanding, education and clinical training in pharmacovigilance and its effective communication to the public  

 

Selected videos on pharmacovigilence:

Understanding Pharmacovigilance

How does Pharmacovigilence work?

 

Illustration:

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/overview/pharmacovigilance-overview