Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission Launches 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week, Emphasizes Rational Use of Medicines
The 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week, observed across the country from September 17 to 23, 2026, aims to promote the safe and rational use of medicines.
The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) launched the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week at the Padmashree Nityanand Auditorium Hall of the ALRC Building in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. This week will be observed across the nation from September 17 to 23, 2026. The theme for this year's campaign is “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines through Pharmacovigilance – A Step Towards Safe Healthcare.”
The primary objective of this campaign is to raise awareness among healthcare professionals, researchers, and the general public regarding the importance of reporting Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) and to encourage them to participate actively in pharmacovigilance. Notably, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission serves as the National Coordinating Centre (NCC) for the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI).
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), attended the inauguration ceremony virtually. He emphasized the need to develop sufficient capacity for the verification, evaluation, and analysis of safety reports so that this data can be effectively utilized in regulatory and clinical decision-making.
Dr. V. Kailaselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, spoke about strengthening the pharmacovigilance network at the grassroots level. He expressed a desire to establish at least one Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Centre and one Medical Device Monitoring Centre in aspirational districts. Additionally, he highlighted the possibilities of drug repurposing and the effective use of safety data.
The occasion also saw the release of Volume 16, Issue 2 of the PvPI newsletter for the year 2026. During the technical sessions of the program, Professor Sangeeta Sharma delivered a lecture on “Pharmacovigilance and Rational Use of Medicines: Two Pillars of Drug Safety,” while Dr. Abdul Nasir spoke on “Beyond Medicines: The Role of MVPI in Strengthening Patient Safety.”
The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Dr. Jai Prakash, Officer-in-Charge of PvPI, and Mr. Aditya Kumar Mamgain, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Furthermore, Mr. Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of the Maharashtra FDA, and Dr. Shanti Pal, head of the World Health Organization's pharmacovigilance team, shared their views via video messages.
