In spite of the current far-reaching tests, to which a medicine must be subjected before itโs been approved, some risks may only be identified after the market launch when the product is in widespread application and everyday use. The cataloguing of spontaneous reports is the best way to discover such problems early on. Typically, patients who want to report an adverse event are directed to their doctor, who can then relay that information to a pharmacovigilance data system. However, since only five percent of doctors are estimated to participate in any pharmacovigilance system, this process can be inefficient at cataloguing patient issues.
In Switzerland, the pharmaceutical industry files adverse reactions reports received directly with Swissmedic. Swissmedic is the national authorisation and supervisory authority for drugs and medical products. The agency ensures that only high-quality, safe and effective medical products are available in Switzerland.
Education is the key to progress in the area of pharmacovigilance. According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization, more than 50% of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and 50% of patients fail to take them correctly. There was an average of 433 ICSRs reported per month in Switzerland, with a total of 80,515 ICSRs submitted between January 1991 to June 2016.
A bright future is assured for employees within the sector as the global pharmacovigilance market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of above 12.8 % over the forecast time frame 2019-2026 and reach the market value around $10.6bn by 2026, according to Acumen Research.
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