Pharmacovigilance- An emerging Field in the Pharmaceutical Industry
What is Pharmacovigilance?
Pharmacovigilance(PV or PhV) i.e. also known as drug safety is the science that deals with activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects of any other drug-related problems as defined by WHO. It is a field in Pharmacy. It is nowadays an emerging field in medical sciences.
Pharmacovigilance- A Booming Career Nowadays
- For life science and pharmacy grads, pharmacovigilance is an excellent career choice. The work of pharmacovigilance professionals is largely responsible for the fact that the pharmaceuticals we consume are mainly safe, and those that are discovered to be hazardous are removed from the market.
- Pharmacovigilance professionals keep a close eye on the safety of pharmaceuticals in clinical trials as well as those currently on the market.
- Following a report of a pharmacological adverse effect, pharmacovigilance professionals enter the information into relevant databases, follow up on the case to acquire more information, and send the reports to regulatory authorities and other relevant agencies.
- Due to This Pandemic and other lifestyle diseases, there has been a boom in this field as Medicine use has increased and so has the number of adverse drug reactions (ADR) and medication toxicity.
- The present global pandemic has improved medication development and pharmacovigilance processes worldwide, in addition to a dramatic increase in severe country-by-country compliance practices.
Courses Offered in this field
- Various Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma courses are offered in Pharmacovigilance by various institutes like ICRI i.e. Institute of Clinical Research.
- The duration of these courses can range from 3 months to 1 year depending upon the type of course.
Eligibility Criteria
Graduates in pharmacy and biosciences, medical professionals (all disciplines), junior professionals in the pharmaceutical and information technology industries, and clinical research professionals MBBS, BDS, BAMS, D.Pharmacy, etc.
Skills Required
- In-depth knowledge of Medical Coding
- Writing skills like Narrative and Scientific writing
- Good command of medical terminology
- Regulatory affairs, ICH-GCP, and other compliances basic knowledge
- A keen eye for detail and the ability to maintain cautious records
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities
- Strategical Approach to Tasks
- Strategical Approach to Tasks
- Exceptional interpreting abilities
Job Prospects
- A life science or pharmacy graduate after getting trained and certified in this field can get an entry-level job in this field as a Drug Safety Associate(DSA)/Pharmacovigilance Associate.
- After having 2 to 3 years of experience, individuals acquire the required knowledge so they are encouraged to go on to become a Drug Safety Scientist(DSS).
- As the knowledge and experience increases in this field, the job profile of an individual also gets better.
Working Sector for a PV Associate
Individuals from the pharmacovigilance field will find career opportunities in the following industries
- Pharmaceutical Companies (MNCs & Indian) & Biotech companies.
- Clinical Research Organizations(CROs)
- KPOs like Accenture & Quintiles.
- Regulatory Agencies like DCG (I) & CDSCO
- Pharmacovigilance units in Medical colleges & Hospitals
Pay scale
The average salary for an entry-level job in pharmacovigilance is ₹ 3.5 lakhs per year in India.
It may increase depending on the experience in the field.
It is a great career arena with wides of opportunities for life science and pharmacy graduates.
