Think of a new medicine as a new employee. For the first few years, you monitor them closely with frequent performance reviews. A PSUR/PBRER is like that comprehensive performance review for a medicine, looking at both its benefits (the good work it does) and its risks (its shortcomings or side effects) to decide if it...
The document "The use of the WHO-UMC system for standardised case causality assessment" provides a detailed explanation of the WHO-UMC causality assessment system, which is used in pharmacovigilance to evaluate the likelihood that a suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) is actually caused by a drug.
The causality assessment of adverse events, to determine the relationship or connection between the drug and adverse events, is an essential and complex approach in pharmacovigilance. The recognition of a potential safety issue for a drug requires adverse drug reactions to be readily differentiated from adverse events.
The goal is not just to collect data on harms, but to actively use that data to minimize risks and promote the safe use of medicines. The process can be broken down into five key stages.
The data sources are presented in a sequence that mirrors the drug development process.
The most fundamental ideas in pharmacovigilance: harm (Adverse Drug Reactions), safety, and causation.
Understanding this terminology is crucial because it forms the standardized language used by healthcare professionals, regulators, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to communicate about drug safety.
Advancing Medication Safety Through Knowledge and Vigilance
