Digital monitoring in the Ayush Pharmacovigilance for safer health care

ABSTRACT: Digital health technologies have revolutionized the healthcare sector and have shown enormous potential in the enhancement of drug monitoring and surveillance through wider adoption of their vivid technologies in providing accurate, transparent, and real-time collection and analysis of safety-related data. In the context of the Pharmacovigilance (PV) Program for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU and H) drugs, digital innovations are crucial for ensuring the safe use of traditional medicines. The Ministry of Ayush, through the National PV Program of India, has launched the Ayush Suraksha Portal – a comprehensive digital platform designed to capture, analyze, and report Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) along with the surveillance of Misleading Advertisements (MLAs) associated with Ayush systems. This digital interface is expected to strengthen real-time data recording and monitoring, followed by timely exchange of information between the stakeholders, to facilitate further time-bound actions and evidence-based safety assessment. The portal brings together healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers to join hands and move toward the aim of “Health for All,” while advancing the goal of patient safety. This will eventually foster public trust and impinge deep faith in Ayush systems. Integrating digital health tools within PV workflow not only improves efficiency and traceability but also aligns with the national vision of Digital India and a safer healthcare ecosystem at large. The paper discusses the role, impact, and future potential of the Ayush Suraksha Portal and digital technologies for monitoring drug and patient safety within the Ayush sector.