SALALAH, Feb 7 - Medical teams comprising medical assistants working in different health institutions in Dhofar were exhorted to be vigilant in terms of monitoring the effects of medical drugs after they have been licensed for use, especially in order to identify and evaluate previously unreported adverse reactions. In medical terms it is called ‘pharmacovigilance’. On the opening day of the two-day workshop on Wednesday, the participants were given general idea about ‘pharmacovigilance’ through expert papers and presentations and were exhorted to adopt the best practices while discharging any duty which involves medication of patients.
Dr Khalid al Mushekhi, Director General of Health Service in Dhofar, put stress on pharmacovigilance and said it was imperative on all the stakeholders to follow the best practices as it was directly related to the healthcare of the citizens and residents. Said Ahmed Said Jaboob, Director of Pharmaceutical Care and Medical Store Department, gave an outline of pharmacovigilance and said, “The event aims to shed light on how to follow up the quality, effectiveness and safety of medicines and methods of monitoring the adverse effects resulting from the use of biological medicine and pharmaceuticals.”
The monitoring system of the adverse effects of drugs and biological products, according to him was adopted in the Sultanate in 1992. “The surveillance is important due to the fact that more than 20 per cent hospital decantation worldwide happen due to the adverse effects of drugs and their interactions with each other.” He put stress on patients’ access to safe and effective medication and raise the pharmaceutical care provided to them.“Optimisation of drugs and promotion of safe drug programmes are equally important and here lies the importance of organising an event on pharmacovigilance.”
Dr Lutfi al Katheri, Specialist and Deputy HoD Medicare at Sultan Qaboos Hospital, dwelt upon ‘Adverse drug reaction (ADRA), a clinical approach’ and Hussain al Ramimmy, Director DPV & DI (Narcotic and Psychotropic Inspector, Muscat gave a general guideline on narcotics and psychotropic. Some interesting presentations and are lined up for Thursday in which topics like ‘Pharmacovigilance and risk management’ and ‘Challenges of healthcare professionals and ADR reporting system’ are to come up for discussion.
Kaushalendra Singh
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
