The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), the National Coordination Centre (NCC) for the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), will organise the 36th Skill Development Programme (SDP) on Pharmacovigilance (PV) from March 9 to March 13, 2026. The programme will be conducted in online mode.

IPC also functions as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance in Public Health Programmes and Regulatory Services.

Pharmacovigilance plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicines by monitoring adverse drug reactions and other drug-related issues. It focuses on the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects, with the overarching objective of improving patient safety and ensuring that the benefits of medicines outweigh their risks.

The SDP is open to pharmacy and Pharm D students, MBBS and BDS graduates, nursing students, pharmacists, nurses, doctors, academicians, young professionals working in pharmacovigilance, industry professionals, as well as consumers and non-governmental organisations.

The programme aims to provide comprehensive training on pharmacovigilance principles, including adverse drug reaction reporting and risk management. It is designed to strengthen practical skills for effective PV practice, enhance understanding of national and global regulatory requirements, and promote interaction and collaboration among healthcare professionals, regulators, and industry stakeholders.

The upcoming SDP offers an opportunity for participants to enhance their knowledge and competencies in pharmacovigilance, contributing to improved drug safety and public health outcomes in India. IPC continues to emphasise capacity building and collaborative learning as key pillars for strengthening pharmacovigilance practices in the country.

IPC is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, responsible for setting and updating drug standards in India. It publishes the Indian Pharmacopoeia, which defines standards for the identity, purity, and strength of drugs for human and veterinary use, and the National Formulary of India, which promotes the rational use of generic medicines.

In addition, IPC provides Indian Pharmacopoeia Reference Substances, which serve as benchmarks for drug identification and purity testing in accordance with pharmacopoeial standards.