Public Health
ABUTH Zaria Sensitises Pharmacy Technicians on Pharmacovigilance and Medicine Safety
The North-West Zonal Pharmacovigilance Centre and ABUTH’s ERT Division have sensitised Pharmacy Technicians on adverse drug reactions, medicine safety, and the importance of detecting and reporting suspected adverse events.
The North-West Zonal Pharmacovigilance Centre, in collaboration with the Education, Research and Training (ERT) Division of the Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria, has sensitised Pharmacy Technicians undergoing industrial training on the principles and practice of pharmacovigilance.
The sensitisation focused on strengthening the trainees’ understanding of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), medication safety, detection and reporting of suspected adverse events, as well as the importance of pharmacovigilance in the safe and rational use of medicines.
Pharmacovigilance plays an important role in identifying and addressing suspected medicine-related problems. For Pharmacy Technicians working within healthcare settings, understanding these principles can support the early recognition of suspected adverse reactions and contribute to safer medicine use.
The session also highlighted the role Pharmacy Technicians can play in promoting medication safety through awareness, identification and appropriate reporting of suspected adverse events.
By engaging Pharmacy Technicians during their industrial training, the initiative provides an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of pharmacovigilance at an important stage of their professional development.
The collaboration between the North-West Zonal Pharmacovigilance Centre and the ERT Division of the Department of Pharmaceutical Services reflects the importance of incorporating medicine-safety principles into professional training and practice.
For Pharmacy Technicians, developing a sound understanding of pharmacovigilance can help reinforce their contribution to the wider healthcare team and support efforts to promote the safe and rational use of medicines.