Inaugural SOPICON 2014 and International Symposium on
Safe Medicine and Safe Patient
ALIGARH
December 03: The
Department of Pharmacology, J N Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University
hosted ‘International Symposium on Safe Medicine and Safe Patient’ in
collaboration with the Organizing Committee of XIV Annual Conference of Society
of Pharmacovigilance, India (SOPICON’14).
Dr S S Agarwal, President elect, Indian
Medical Association and the Guest of honour on the occasion spoke about the risks
pertaining over-the-counter and with the use of traditional medicines. He also
discussed ways to reduce risk involved while treating children and expectant
mothers with the use of medicines, preventing disorders of the heart and
stroke, and treating cancer and kidney ailments.
Dr Agarwal further said that this Symposium would be of particular interest for health
professionals including doctors, pharmacists, nurses and managers working in
referral, district and community hospitals, community pharmacists, experts
involved in supply of medicines, professionals interested in pharmacovigilance,
and medical students.
Dr K C Singhal, Vice
Chancellor, NIIMS, Jaipur said that there is a need of such seminars as well as
National Conferences for promotion of Pharmacovigilance in India and the
program would include all safety issues
of medicines. He also said that safety of people is the supreme priority and suggested
to keep away from drugs which are occasionally more harmful than beneficial.
The Aligarh Muslim University
Vice Chancellor, Lt General Zameeruddin Shah (retd) while presiding over the
seminar said that reporting of adverse drug reactions is a major activity of
Pharamacovigilance and is a responsibility of all persons involved in
healthcare, including patients. He also pointed out that there is a need to
develop a culture of reporting whenever medicines show adverse effect.
Professor Tariq Mansoor,
Principal and Chief Medical Superintendent, J N Medical College, AMU urged
participants to assure that each and every adverse drug reaction has to be
brought to the notice of relevant authorities so that necessary steps could be
taken to prevent them in future.
Dr Eugene Van Puijenbroek,
Netherlands, while addressing the seminar stated that the
Symposium is timely in building an effective strategy for pharmacovigilance and
developing educational systems so as to enhance good practice in use of
medicines. He added that the Symposium would provide important updates for
doctors, pharmacists and nurses on reducing risk from the use of high risk
medicines which are often used.
Meanwhile, Brigadier S Ahmad
Ali (retd), the Pro Vice Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University, congratulated
the organisers and hoped that this symposium would prove to be a good platform
for exchange of ideas among experts in the field and all the participants would
benefit from the interaction with the distinguished speakers.
The Dean, Faculty of
Medicine, JNMC, Prof Shahjahan Bano informed that the adverse effects of drugs
could lead to harm, ranging from minor troubles to even death, due to which pharmacovigilance
hold the key to prevent these unwanted outcomes.
Professor Tariq Mansoor,
Principal and Chief Medical Superintendent, J N Medical College, AMU urged
participants to assure that each and every adverse drug reaction has to be
brought to the notice of relevant authorities so that necessary steps could be
taken to prevent them in future.
Dr Salman Shah conducted the
program while the vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Syed Ziaur Rehman,
Organising Secretary of the Symposium.
SOPICON-2014
concluded
ALIGARH
December 10: Prof Herve
le Louet, President, International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) remarked
that he was, for the first time, witnessing any such type of conference on
Pharmacovigilance in India. He was addressing the valedictory function of XIV
Annual Conference of Society of Pharmacovigilance of India (SOPICON-14). He
further suggested holding a joint meeting of Society of Pharmacovigilance of
India (SoPI) and ISoP to bring more experts from India and abroad to deliberate
on a common topic of interest.
During
the valedictory function, various prizes were also given to winners by the Chief
Guest and Guests of honour. First, Second and Third Uppsala prizes were awarded
in the best poster presentations category to Dr Abhishek Goyal, Department of
Pediatrics, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Mr M Ramya, KVSR
Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh and
Mr Jamshed Ahmad, Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), Department of
Pharmacology, MAMC, New Delhi, respectively. In addition, Dr Niteen Ahire,
Department of Pharmacology, Shri Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College,
Yavatmal, Maharashtra got Consolation prize in the same poster competition
category. P N Saxena Award for best oral presentation was awarded to Dr Abhay
Joshi, Department of Pharmacology, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. However, in
the National Pharmacovigilance Quiz, the team comprising of Mr Vishwanath Reddy
Gampala and Mr Hemanth Kumar Namuri, Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy Warangal,
Telangana got the first prize. A very special prize for non-research poster
presentation was also awarded to Ms Gulfisha, student of Diploma in Physiotherapy
and Rehabilitation, AMU.
Dr Syed Ziaur Rahman, Organizing Secretary informed that the
conference was well attended by delegates. He said that there were 104
registered delegates, 46 guest speakers including 6 from abroad. Both orations
and keynote lecture were delivered by eminent speakers Dr Noel E Cranswick from
Australia, Dr Eugene van Pujienbroek from the Netherlands and Dr Herve le Louet
from France whereas a large number of young scholars from different parts of India,
participated in both oral and poster presentations.
Prof KC Singhal, Vice Chancellor, NIMS University, Jaipur and
the guest of honour on the occasion remarked that he was proud to attend the
conference at his own alma mater, where he previously served as
a faculty member for more than thirty five years. He further informed that he
also initiated a scientific programme for Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring with
the support of enthusiastic physicians from many parts of the country and
established Society of Pharmacovigilance, India (SoPI).
Dr Ruth Savage, Secretary International Affair, SoPI from New
Zealand thanked
distinguished speakers and experts from India as well as those from abroad. She
expressed confidence that the conference cum symposium provided a good
opportunity to discuss various aspects of Pharmacovigilance.
Prof Barna Ganguly, President Elect, SoPI, thanked the
organisers for the efficiently organized conference. She appreciated the
content of all the lectures including orations, meticulously framed symposiums
on burning topics and University hospitality.
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