The Ministry of Health has noted an increase in Kenyans’ awareness of health-related issues such as disease conditions, management, and adverse drug reactions.
Speaking today during the launch of the Mobile Pharmacovigilance Electronic Reporting System (mPVERS), Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said the platform is another great milestone achieved by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) towards monitoring of quality, safety and efficacy of health products and technologies in Kenya.
“In this regard, the PPB through immense support from the USAID Medicines, Technologies and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Programme has developed a mPvERS system.
This is a mobile-based solution that provides a reporting platform in the form of a mobile application for both android and iPhone operating systems and an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) solution,” he said.
Members of the public can now offer extensive first-hand information on their experiences with drugs and how these treatments have influenced their lives.
He covers reports of adverse events for OTC drugs, herbal medicines, vaccinations, and complaints on suspected low-quality health items.
Consumer reporting, he continues, is a helpful tool for empowering consumers and increasing their involvement in their own health management.
The CAS said the solution is developed to supplement the existing national reporting system PvERS II, launched in March 2021 to increase and improve consumer reporting and AEFI reporting.
He noted that the Ministry of Health through Pharmacy and Poisons Board is committed to providing Kenyans with safe, quality and efficacious medical products and health technologies.
”We are looking forward to great outputs from this system. I call upon all of us to support this initiative as we strive to ensure that the public is using quality, safe and efficacious health products and technologies,” said the CAS.