Developing a pharmacovigilance system in the Philippines, a country of diverse culture and strong traditional medicine background.

Pharmacovigilance is the study of adverse drug reactions (ADR, events-AE). It affords a unique vantage point from which to detect problem drugs and drug use. The ADR reporting system in the Philippines was established in August 1994 and was recognized as a national centre member of the World Health Organization International Drug Monitoring (currently known as the Uppsala Monitoring Centre) by February 1995. The pharmacovigilance system in the Philippines developed a number of communication and training packages with the intention of advocating safer medicines and rational drug use. Although unpopular with western-trained medical doctors, people do utilize traditional folk medicines. There have been few ADR reports, perhaps in part because the AE are unrecognized; sometimes, the AE is misconstrued as part of the healing action; and practitioners of these remedies are unlikely to report them. People who resort to herbal medicines are usually from the poor segment of the population, and are likely to believe in unscientific claims and unlikely to report what they suffered. The promotion of herbal medicines as natural safe alternatives neglects the possibility of AE. Although unregulated, traditional Chinese medicines are allowed in the Philippines if used by ethnic Chinese. The regulation of health supplements has also been inefficient. Both of these factors have provided gaps for the entry of harmful products. Pharmacovigilance programmes are useful in the detection of false claims and substandard medicines. Examples of the Philippine ADR monitoring experience are cited.