Journal of Pharmacovigilance

Abstract

Incorporation of New Technologies into Global Pharmacovigilance

Vishwani Persaud-Sharma and Shu-Feng Zhou

There is an increased concern on the safety of established and newly developed drugs with typical use geared towards aid in the life-long battle to rid the world of threatening and ravishing illness. In an attempt to monitor the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that frequently arise from consumed medications that have killed many patients each year, the practice of pharmacovigilance allows medical communities to assess and regulate the indications of drugs used for medications throughout the clinical treatment process. With regulations provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) among other governmental surveyors that form the backbone for these pharmacovigilant establishments worldwide, underdeveloped countries can effectively monitor drug ADRs and the contraindications associated with these medications, allowing for correction and future eradication of harmful drugs for enhanced and effective medical treatment that delivers strong efficacy. From a clinical and research aspect, new technologies are emerging that incorporate these newly arising pharmacovigilant practices including the so-called “Omics” approaches and identification of new biomarkers that are associated with the occurrence of rare and idiosyncratic ADRs.