H.E. Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Saidi, minister of Health inaugurated today Monday the 39th Annual Meeting of Representatives of National Pharmacovigilance Centers (NPVC) participating in the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (PIDM) that the Sultanate hosts represented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) at the Grand Millennium Hotel.  

The opening ceremony included a speech from Dr. Ala Alwan, Regional Director of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region stating that this global programme aims to enhance patient safety in relation to the use of medical products, and to support public health programmes by providing reliable, balanced information for the effective assessment of the risk–benefit profile of medical products.

From his side, Dr. Mohammed Hamdan Al Rubaie, Director General of Pharmaceutical Affairs & Drug Control, pointed out that spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction (ADRs) is the corner stone of PV. He declared that there are several challenges in the medical sector and public health systems that intensified the need for Pharmacovigilance, such as medicines coming from countries where regulatory standards may not be very strong, and increasing dependence of people on online platforms for medical guidance, self-medication, and counterfeit medicines. 

In addition, pharmacist Hussain Al Rumaimi, Director of Pharmacovigilance & Drug Information department at the MOH highlighted Pharmacovigilance in the Sultanate in regard with the establishment of the National Pharmacovigilance Center, the Sultanate’s Membership in the WHO PIDM and the challenges facing the center.

At the end of the ceremony, the minister launched the accompanying Exhibition that included number of educational posters on Pharmacovigilance.

 250 participants representing 60 countries of the WHO pharmacovigilance network took part in the 39th meeting. This 4-day meeting includes eight working groups that will discuss various issues of current concerns in pharmacovigilance (PV) reviewing first the 38^th NPVC meeting recommendations that was held last year in New Delhi, and touching upon the progress made.

Working groups addressed Regional challenges on pharmacovigilance and defined the PV research priorities. Moreover, they measured the impact of the pharmacovigilance communication campaigns and identified successful approaches and strategies to enhance participation of consumer reporting. Moreover, work groups’ topics will consider identification of adverse events through social media and regional challenges on pharmacovigilance. Furthermore, the meeting will underline the impact of pharmacovigilance in countries with conflict as well as pregnancy and PV.

It should be noted that the Sultanate is the first Gulf Country and the second Arab country that joined the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (PIDM) in 1995 and became an active member since. PIDM are receiving reports of the Member States regarding adverse reactions associated with medicinal products to the WHO global database.