NEW DELHI: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has established a dedicated committee to monitor and report adverse events related to drugs and medical devices used in patient treatment. This initiative aims to strengthen pharmacovigilance and enhance patient safety by systematically tracking side effects and complications arising during medical interventions at the institute.
The newly formed panel will compile and analyse data on adverse reactions, forwarding regular reports to the central authorities. These insights will help identify potential safety concerns associated with medications and medical devices, facilitating necessary regulatory actions.
Dr Pooja Gupta has been appointed as the committee’s coordinator, with Dr. Sudhir Chandra Sarangi serving as deputy coordinator.
The committee includes six additional members: AIIMS Medical Superintendent Dr. Nirupam Madan, Head of the Pharmacology Department Dr. D.S. Arya, Dr. Manish Juneja from the Medicine Department, Dr. Kanika Jain from Hospital Administration, and Dr. Sudhir Chaudhary.
According to an official statement from AIIMS, the committee will oversee the collection and evaluation of adverse event reports before forwarding them to the National Centre at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in Ghaziabad. The initiative calls upon doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff to actively participate in reporting adverse events to the Pharmacology Department, ensuring a streamlined flow of information to relevant national programs.
“This committee will collect and analyse adverse effect data and send regular reports to the National Centre at Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission at Ghaziabad. The committee will also expand and optimize the patient safety activities in the institute,” an order copy by AIIMS read.
Monitoring the safety of medical treatments is considered a critical ethical responsibility of healthcare professionals. Through Adverse Events Monitoring (AEM), medical teams can detect and report side effects, allowing timely interventions to mitigate risks and safeguard patient health. This system also benefits pharmaceutical manufacturers by identifying safety concerns early, enabling corrective measures to enhance drug and device safety.