6th National Pharmacovigilance Week inaugurated at Justice KS Hegde Hospital, Deralakatte

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sept. 17, 2026: The 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week 2026 was inaugurated at the Glass House of Justice KS Hegde Charitable Hospital (JKSHCH), Deralakatte, on Thursday.

The week-long observance, being organised from September 17 to 23, is centred on the theme “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines Through Pharmacovigilance: A Step Towards Safer Healthcare.”

The programme was jointly organised by the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Centre (AMC) of JKSHCH, the Department of Pharmacology of KS Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA), and NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (NGSMIPS), Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru.

Prof. (Dr.) B. Sandeep Rai, Dean, KSHEMA, presided over the inaugural programme. Prof. (Dr.) Satheesh Rao of the Department of Psychiatry, JKSHCH, was the chief guest, while Prof. (Dr.) C.S. Shastry, Director (Research & Strategic Initiatives), NGSMIPS, was the guest of honour.

The programme highlighted the importance of pharmacovigilance and the rational use of medicines, with emphasis on the early detection and reporting of adverse drug reactions. It also stressed the need to strengthen medication safety practices among healthcare professionals and students.

The programme was coordinated by Prof. (Dr.) Sumalatha R. Shetty, Medical Superintendent, JKSHCH; Prof. (Dr.) Ravichandra V., Head of the Department of Pharmacology, KSHEMA; and Dr. Uday Venkat Mateti, Associate Professor, NGSMIPS.

A series of activities will be conducted during the week to create awareness about medication safety and pharmacovigilance among healthcare professionals and students.