Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel today said that India’s journey in Pharmacovigilance has been a remarkable example of self-reliance over the years. She said this while releasing the 7th Edition of the National Formulary of India in New Delhi. The Minister said that currently more than one thousand one hundred Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Centres are operational in the country and the Government aims to increase this number up to the primary health facility level.

She informed that the country now provides pharmacovigilance data to the WHO patient safety database. The Minister further highlighted that India has risen from the 123rd rank in 2014 to 8th rank in providing this data to WHO. She also said that 25 countries in the world recognise and accept the Indian pharmacopoeia. On the occasion, the Minister appealed the citizens to avoid any form of self-medication, follow professional prescriptions, and never ignore a sudden or unexpected side effect of any medicinal drug.