What Is The Importance Of Post-Clinical Trial Pharmacovigilance?
During clinical trials of a new drug, pharmaceutical companies use pharmacovigilance checks to assess the medication and how it works. At the end of a successful trial, they can market the drug.
However, companies then continue to monitor the drug and its effects. Why is it important to continue pharmacovigilance after a drug comes to market?
Monitor Wider Patient Populations
While clinical trials assess how a drug works on a number of people, this number is usually relatively small compared to the general population of people who might take the drug in the future. Companies have an idea of how the drug works and its potential side effects; however, they don't have a full picture at this stage. They can't know more until more people take the drug.
Plus, clinical trials don't typically include vulnerable groups of people, such as young children or older people. Groups who might have underlying conditions or problematic medical histories might only get access to a drug after it is approved.
Post-trial pharmacovigilance systems monitor the drug, its effects, and its side effects when it is on the market. They can evaluate additional data as more people use the medication. They can then provide more information on the drug's efficacy and spot possible problems.
Assess Long-Term Use
Clinical trials are carefully planned to last for a long enough time to show pharmaceutical companies how a drug works. However, these trials won't necessarily last as long as the time an individual might take the drug in real life.
Long-term medications need more monitoring after they come to market. Pharmacovigilance studies track these drugs, their performance, and their side effects to evaluate longer-term use. This helps ensure that a drug is safe for people who might need to take it regularly or intermittently over a longer period of time than the original trial lasted.
Support Drug Adoption Measures
Longer-term pharmacovigilance analysis can help promote a drug to more people. It takes time for people to hear about new medications; some won't want to try a new drug until they know more about how it works.
Pharmacovigilance studies can encourage people to try new medications. If a drug performs well, then studies can market its benefits to more people. Sometimes, drugs have positive side effects which only become apparent over time. These findings can build trust in the medication and boost its market share.
To find out more, contact a pharmacovigilance consulting company.