Role of Pharmacist in Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting and Pharmacovigilance: A Narrative Review
Abstract: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) remain a leading cause of morbidity, hospital admission, and avoidable healthcare cost worldwide, and pharmacovigilance (PV) has consequently become a central pillar of medicines-safety systems. Pharmacists, by virtue of their pharmacological training and frequent, accessible contact with patients across community, hospital, and industry settings, occupy a strategic position within this system. This narrative review examines the role of the pharmacist in ADR reporting and pharmacovigilance, with particular reference to the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI). Literature was reviewed from PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, together with official PvPI and WHO publications, covering the historical evolution of pharmacovigilance, the specific contributions of pharmacists to ADR detection and reporting, causality-assessment tools such as the Naranjo algorithm and WHO-UMC scale, and global evidence on pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Across the reviewed literature, pharmacists consistently report positive attitudes toward ADR reporting, yet actual reporting rates remain low, a gap attributed to factors described as the "five dwarfs" of underreporting - ignorance, lethargy, complacency, diffidence, and insecurity - together with workload pressures, limited procedural training, and absent feedback mechanisms. PvPI has expanded substantially since its 2010 launch, achieving WHO Collaborating Centre status in 2017, yet underreporting from the private sector and state-level disparities persist. Strengthening the pharmacist's contribution will require curricular reform pairing theory with practical reporting training, continued simplification of reporting infrastructure, and structured feedback to reporters.
Keywords: Pharmacovigilance; Adverse Drug Reaction; Pharmacist; ADR Reporting; Pharmacovigilance Programme of India; Patient Safety
How to Cite?: Rahul Kumar Saw, "Role of Pharmacist in Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting and Pharmacovigilance: A Narrative Review", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1315-1317, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=MR261021120741, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/MR261021120741