Having witnessed first-hand the devastating consequences of inadequate awareness and training in pharmacovigilance (PV) among healthcare professionals, I am calling for urgent action at both national and local levels.

Too many cases of pharmaceutical harm, serious injury, and tragic loss of life occur within healthcare organisations and go unrecognised, unreported, and unaddressed. This lack of reporting undermines patient safety and prevents healthcare systems from learning from avoidable harm. It is estimated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that only 6–10% of serious adverse drug reactions may currently be reported—meaning the true scale of medication-related harm is likely far greater.

Pharmacovigilance—the science and activities concerned with the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or other drug-related problems—is a fundamental pillar of patient safety. Yet, insufficient and inconsistent training in pharmacovigilance across healthcare settings continues to place patients at unnecessary risk.

Evidence shows that adverse drug reactions are a major cause of preventable harm, contributing to over 100,000 deaths annually in the United States and up to 22,000 deaths each year in the UK. Many of these outcomes could be reduced or prevented through proper education, vigilance, and systematic reporting by trained healthcare professionals.

Mandatory pharmacovigilance training for all healthcare organisations that prescribe, dispense, or administer medicines—whether in hospitals, GP practices, care homes, pharmacies, or community services—would empower staff to:

• Recognise and respond to adverse drug reactions promptly
• Conduct appropriate risk assessments
• Confidently and accurately report safety concerns
• Strengthen accountability and learning within healthcare systems
  
  

This petition calls on healthcare regulators, commissioners, and organisational leaders to mandate regular, standardised pharmacovigilance training at both national and local levels. By embedding pharmacovigilance education into routine practice, we can create a proactive culture of medicine safety and significantly reduce preventable harm.

Please sign this petition to support mandatory pharmacovigilance training for staff across all healthcare organisations—and help create a safer healthcare system where every patient’s life is protected through knowledge, vigilance, and accountability.

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