Pharmacovigilance: Drug safety Monitoring An Interprofessional approach

Coming together to learn is a beginning, keeping the health care team together for practice is progress and working together cordially in the clinical scenario is success. To any patient, his world would be much better if health care professionals coordinate and provide him a holistic care. The workshop on Pharmacovigilance: drug safety monitoring is an eye-opening workshop to begin with a small step for a better tomorrow. Health care students learn Pharmacology subject at different depth and breadth. Any graduate that enters the hospital is expected to function professionally and efficiently. But we need to audit and comprehend to what extent we have taught the students the subject pharmacology, so that right medication is prescribed, dispensed and administered. Our curriculum need renovation keeping the complexities of today’s challenges in medication. If you look at “drug management for a patient” there is no single point of understanding that the health care team looks at it. It is this very opportunity that knocked the door to have an Interprofessional team to teach the young health sciences interns who are just getting ready to launch off for their practice.  

The day’s sessions included “IPE, IPP: Aiming for excellence in health care system” by Dr. Ciraj AM (Director MUFIILIPE, Manipal Academy of Higher Education)) IPE, IPP in medication management: Need of the hour by Dr. Kasturi R Adiga, Drug errors and ADRs, ADEs monitoring by Dr. Girish Thunga (Pharmacy Practice dept), Drug calculation by Dr. Jyothi, Mrs. Melita Sheilini, Mrs Prima J D’Souza, Mrs. Yashoda, Small volume, large volume mix (demonstration) by Mr. Anil Raj & Dr. Elsa Sanatombi Devi and Drug errors and legal liabilities-A case discussion by Dr. Haneil L D’Souza (Forensic dept). The team of medical professionals, Pharmacy Practice and Nursing made its way towards teaching and learning together. Dr. Anice George, Dean Manipal College of Nursing in her presidential address accentuated that Interprofessional education and practice is the only future for health care. Any certification for the hospital, it is drug administration and errors related to it that are the most crucial. If we want to bring quality care, learning and practicing together is the only solution with a clear role clarification and respect for each other’s profession.  

Dr. Elsa Sanatombi Devi, the organizing secretary in her closing remarks said that “Drug is dynamic”. Curriculum need to include important aspects of medication for all health sciences students with competency based training program. Setting up medication counselling unit in every ward of the hospital is a need and reaching out for drug compliance through health education at the community level is our responsibility. Ms Afreen Khan, an intern of MCODS Manipal expressed that drug calculation and administration need to be a part of the curriculum. It was splendid learning from multidisciplinary team on aspects of drug management which is totally new to us. Mr Shaikh Siraj Salim, a final year nursing student of MSON expressed his enthusiasm to have other stream students in a team to learn together. He says, Pharmacology need to be taught in-depth in the GNM program to meet the expectations of the patients and meet the standards of accreditation bodies. There are lots to learn in medication.