Pharmacovigilance (PV) is defined by WHO as the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other medicine-related problem. A quality issue with a medicine can trigger an adverse drug reaction (ADR) and this is the reason of the presence of a Pharmacovigilance section in this document.

UNDP COs must ensure that the health authorities responsible for implementing prevention and treatment programmes have a pharmacovigilance system in place for monitoring adverse drug reactions and resistance. If these systems are not in place, the health programme(s) should obtain advice from an international organization or a consultant with technical expertise in this area.

In collaboration with WHO (key technical partner for PV), UNDP COs can contribute in different ways to the strengthening of a national PV programme, for example:

• Provision of specialized technical assistance (consultants)
• Material support to the PV unit (IT equipment, software, premises)
• Trainings of PV unit staff and/or health facilities staff
• Funding of PV pilot projects more particularly for newly introduced medicines (e.g.,: Dolutegravir)
• Support to the designing, printing and distribution of Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) forms

Based on information received through the national pharmacovigilance system, the NRA may request UNDP CO to send a sample of suspect medicines for QC.