Pharmacovigilance: A Comprehensive Review of Drug Safety Monitoring Practices

Pharmacovigilance, a crucial aspect of healthcare, encompasses the science and activities related to detecting, assessing, understanding, and preventing adverse drug reactions and other drug-related problems1. Its significance has grown considerably, especially following the 1961 thalidomide tragedy, which underscored the need for comprehensive drug safety monitoring. This field plays a vital role in improving patient safety and quality of life, while also safeguarding public health. emphasizes the expanding scope of pharmacovigilance beyond spontaneous reporting and marketed drug evaluation. It now includes ensuring patient safety during clinical trials through informed consent and ethical review boards, developing safety profiles for new drugs, and communicating this information to stakeholders2. Further highlights the importance of pharmacovigilance by discussing consumer reporting of adverse drug reactions and the challenges of early detection. This abstract provides a concise overview of the importance and evolving role of pharmacovigilance in ensuring drug safety