title: Need for involving consumers in Nepal's pharmacovigilance system.
abstract: In Nepal, reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occurs on a voluntary basis by doctors, pharmacists, nurses, health assistants, and other healthcare professionals. The country's pharmacovigilance program is still in its infancy; it has limited coverage and underreporting is common. This major limitation could be reduced with consumer involvement. This report examines the necessity and benefits of consumer involvement in Nepal's existing pharmacovigilance program, reflecting on existing examples of consumer pharmacovigilance in different countries to highlight the necessity for such a framework in Nepal.
authors.affiliation: KIST Medical College, Nepal.
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: L.R. Institute of Pharmacy, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Devendra Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rathore
authors.affiliation: Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba.
authors.forename: P Ravi
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.affiliation: Former Chief Drug Administrator, Ministry of Health and Population, Nepal.
authors.forename: Bhupendra Bahadur
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Thapa
authors.affiliation: Director General, Department of Drug Administration, Nepal.
authors.forename: Gajendra
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bhuju
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Aden University, Yemen.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alshakka
keywords: Consumers; Nepal; pharmacovigilance