Before we dwell into the raw aspects of Pharmacovigilance and know what it is all about as a career? Let’s understand that what is Pharmacovigilance ??
Pharmacovigilance is a term to define keeping vigilance over the pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals are all about drugs and medicines, and even the diagnostic equipment, or in other words medical devices. Keeping an eye on the bad impacts of drugs and devices on humans is what Pharmacovigilance all about.
Drugs show side effects which in medical terms are known as Adverse drug reactions, i.e. ADR’s. Another related term is AE i.e. Adverse events. Now the basic meaning of these two terms is that any unwanted or unimaginable effects of drugs on the human body, which degrades the health of humans are basically an adverse drug reaction. This means, that the effect of medicine which includes beneficial effects to treat any ailment, also is with bad effects that harm the health level in the body. Now, most of the drugs which are manufactured synthetically are having side effects, it is only when the benefits overpower the side effects the compound is considered as medicine.
Now, during the 1980’s the WHO came into action, as more and more such side effects or adverse effects came into the limelight which leads to severe damages or which hampered the health of the patient very severely, so in order to curb such incidences, the Health organizations across the world, came with the solution as Pharmacovigilance, which deals with prompt reporting of such cases, and with the goal of detecting at the right source, and plus in order to prevent such incidences, in order to safeguard the health of the patient.
Initially, the posts which are available in various organizations, is of Pharmacovigilance officer, who conduct all the groundwork of keeping vigilance in the market of such drugs, which are actually resulting in damaging the health level of patients, rather than giving them benefits. As an in-charge you will also work in order to sensitize and make doctors or other healthcare practitioners aware of the drugs which are still available in the market though banned in other regions of the world.
The Pharmacovigilance works to bring harmonization in the whole medical profession as well as treatments procedures where the disease management is carried out with the help of drugs or medicines in order to lower the suffering of either acute disease patient or chronic disease patients
As Pharmacovigilance officer you will also carry out surveys in the market and use your analytical skills in order to highlight such medicines and devices being marketed by organized and unorganized companies, in order to completely develop safety practices in the medical industry.
There had been cases where medical or pharmaceutical negligence has resulted in the deaths of the patients. So, in order to avoid and prevent such incidences Pharmacovigilance takes the charge and helps in keeping eye over the malpractices which by somehow seek the opportunity to earn money at the cost of precious lives.
Isn’t it challenging and Exciting opportunity ??
