Safety Monitoring of Medicines and Vaccines (Report)

The document provides an in-depth analysis of the Program for International Drug Monitoring (PIDM), a global initiative supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) that focuses on pharmacovigilance—the monitoring of the safety and effectiveness of medicines and vaccines. Given the ubiquity of medicine prescriptions in healthcare, ensuring their safety is paramount. The PIDM, established in 1968 and now encompassing over 170 countries, stands as the most extensive network of its kind, bringing together health professionals, patients, and manufacturers. This report delves into the accomplishments and challenges faced by the PIDM, drawing from a systematic review of studies published in medical journals and indexed in PubMed. While the report offers insights into the PIDM's operations, it acknowledges gaps in data from certain countries and regions. The emphasis is on the challenges encountered by low-and-middle-income nations. Key areas covered include: (1) shared successes and challenges across countries; (2) benefits of having a national pharmacovigilance system; (3) hurdles in expanding and solidifying these systems; and (4) the value of regional cooperation. This analysis is one among a series that delves deeper into pharmacovigilance, offering insights into technical details and experiences from different countries and regions.