Pharmacovigilance is a critical factor in today's healthcare practice. According to the World Health Organization definition, Pharmacovigilance (PV) is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem. In order to achieve its goals, training, education and awareness play a significant role. This mainly focuses on four relevant stakeholders: healthcare sciences students, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industry, patients and consumers. Healthcare sciences’ academic programs should include mandatory PV courses and pertinent under-graduate student practice.  Healthcare professionals’ continuous training and awareness in PV is important during their clinical practice and professional life. Pharmaceutical Industry as the main stakeholder that drives clinical research and pharmaceutical market is by default one of the main factors that should incorporate PV training and awareness.  Finally yet importantly, patients’ engagement concerning PV is an area under improvement.  As a conclusion, PV is an integral part of current clinical and healthcare practice; important milestones have achieved regarding to training and education among healthcare sciences students, healthcare professional and pharmaceutical industry employees.  Concerning patients’ awareness there are still a lot to do in order to sensitize the public in PV. Since PV is a critical factor for the safety and effectiveness of medicines, there is a need of constant and continuous improving in training, education and awareness to optimize the benefit for the patient.

 

Keywords: Pharmacovigilance; Drug Safety; Education; Training; Healthcare; Patients Benefit