INTRO
India has risen from 123rd to eighth globally in contributions to the WHO’s patient safety database, Union Minister Anupriya Patel said.
NEW DELHI
India has moved from 123rd position during 2009–2014 to eighth globally in contributions to the World Health Organization’s patient safety database, Union Minister Anupriya Patel said on Monday.
Patel made the remarks while launching the seventh Edition of the National Formulary of India (NFI), a guidance document on medical device-related adverse events, and the ADR-PvPI 2.0 mobile application for iOS users. The launches were held during the sixth National Pharmacovigilance Week programme organised by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.
National Pharmacovigilance Week is being observed from September 17 to 23 with the theme, “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines through Pharmacovigilance: A Step Towards Safer Healthcare.” Patel said rational medicine use and continuous safety monitoring are essential to public health, stressing that patients should receive the right medicine, of assured quality, in the right manner and with a highest possible safety.
The minister highlighted India’s pharmacovigilance system, which collects, processes and analyses medicine-safety data from across the country. She said India’s progress reflects a shift from relying on safety information generated elsewhere to producing and contributing its own evidence.
Patel also announced that the Biovigilance Programme of India has received government approval. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission will lead monitoring of adverse events linked to medicines and biological products used in organ and tissue transplantation.
The Pharmacovigilance Programme of India and Materiovigilance Programme of India will work alongside the new initiative to strengthen safety monitoring of medicines, medical devices and transplant procedures. Around 1,150 adverse drug reaction reporting centres operate across hospitals.
The NFI 2026 contains 34 chapters, 20 appendices and 653 drugs, including 42 fixed-dose combinations and 30 immunologicals. 25 countries recognise and accept the Indian Pharmacopoeia, while the commission joined the Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group in 2023. The NFI is also available digitally through NFI Online for healthcare professionals.