Pharmacovigilance is defined as the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problems. The concept of pharmacovigilance is borne out of the recognition that no medicine is completely risk-free.

The specific aims of pharmacovigilance are to:

• improve patient care and safety in relation to the use of medicines and all medical and paramedical interventions,
• improve public health and safety in relation to the use of medicines,
• contribute to the assessment of benefit, harm, effectiveness and risk of medicines, encouraging their safe, rational and more effective (including cost-effective) use, and
• promote understanding, education and clinical training in pharmacovigilance and its effective communication to the public.

Source: The Importance of Pharmacovigilance, WHO 2002

MCAZ houses the National Pharmacovigilance Centre which participates in the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring