Medicine safety a shared national responsibility

AS Malaysia joins the global #MedSafetyWeek 2026 campaign led by the Uppsala Monitoring Centre, a World Health Organisa-tion collaborating centre, the Health Ministry has amplified a crucial message for both public and healthcare professionals.

This year’s theme, “Side effects – don’t ignore them, report them”, serves as a timely reminder that ensuring the safe use of medicines is a shared national responsibility.

When a medicine reaches the market, its safety profile must be continuously monitored.

According to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), 35,708 reports of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) and Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) were received in 2025.

While this data reflects an active national monitoring system, global statistics from the Uppsala Monitoring Centre indicate a persistent challenge: worldwide, less than 10% of suspected side effects are actually reported.

This underreporting often stems from a lack of awareness, the misconception that certain side effects are just expected outcomes, or time constraints faced by healthcare professionals in clinical settings.

Overcoming this requires a collective, ecosystem-wide effort.

Pharmacovigilance, the science of detecting, assessing and preventing medicine-related harm, cannot rely on regulators alone.

It requires the active participation of healthcare facilities, academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and most importantly, the patients themselves.

As the Health Ministry rightly noted, every single report received contributes to a better understanding of medicine safety.

This real-world feedback helps the NPRA identify emerging safety concerns and take appropriate action to minimise risks to the public.

Medicines save lives and improve the health of millions, but their safe use requires constant vigilance.

The #MedSafetyWeek campaign, running from Nov 2 to 8, is an essential platform to bridge the awareness gap.

Whether you are a healthcare professional observing an unexpected reaction in a clinic or a patient experiencing discomfort at home, your voice matters.

Information on how to report is readily available through the NPRA’s ConSERF reporting system or your nearest health facility.

By choosing not to ignore side effects and reporting them instead, we all play a direct role in making medicines safer for everyone.

SHARVIN A. SUBRAMANIAM

Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI)

Petaling Jaya