TNMU Training Program “Pharmacovigilance: Fundamental Course of Training a Professional” Was Presented by Oleksandra Oleshchuk at the “Pharma@focus on the Patient 2024. Pharmacovigilance” Forum

The Head of TNMU Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Professor Oleksandra Oleshchuk presented the training program of TNMU “Pharmacovigilance: Fundamental Course of Training a Professional” for the specialization of doctors and pharmacists at the “Pharma@focus on the patient 2024. Pharmacovigilance” forum, which took place on March 7, 2024 in Kyiv.

Pharmacovigilance is the process and science of monitoring the safety of medicines and taking action to reduce the risks and increase the benefits of medicines. The healthcare system of Ukraine faces a need for qualified pharmacovigilance specialists, both in healthcare facilities and pharmaceutical enterprises.

I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University is a leader in medical education in Ukraine, taking first place in national and international rankings of higher education institutions. TNMU prepares specialists in the field of “Health care” at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd levels of higher education according to training programs (TP), which are accredited by the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance and provide for the awarding of professional qualifications of bachelor’s, master’s, doctor of philosophy in the fields of “Medicine “, “Pharmacy”, “Dentistry”, “Nursing”, “Therapy and rehabilitation”, “Paediatrics”. The educational process at TNMU is provided by 650 highly qualified research and teaching staff, including 118 doctors of science and 500 candidates of science/doctors of philosophy.

According to the Law of Ukraine “On Medicinal Products”, a “pharmacovigilance specialist” is a person with a higher education (master’s degree in the relevant field of knowledge 22 “Health care”) with professional qualifications: doctor, dentist, psychologist, paediatrician, pharmacist. During training of all applicants at TNMU, considerable attention is paid to the problem of safe and rational use of drugs and immunobiological agents. At the pre-diploma level, pharmacovigilance issues are included in the training program “General Medicine”, “Medicine”, “Pharmacy” “Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy”. In the process of training doctors, the monitoring system and the safety of the use of medicines are discussed during the study of the compulsory discipline “Pharmacology” and the elective course “Side Effects of Drugs”. In addition to pharmacology, students majoring in “Pharmacy” study the principles of pharmacovigilance in the elective disciplines “Side Effects of Drugs” and “Drug Interactions”.

In order to train pharmacovigilance specialists at the post-graduate level, TNMU has introduced the TP “Pharmacovigilance: a fundamental course for training a professional”, postgraduate level of higher education (specialization – 3 months) in the field of knowledge “Health care” Qualification: “Professional of pharmacovigilance”. Admission to the specialization course will be based on a specialist diploma of a dentist, paediatrician, pharmacist (pharmacologist) and involves 36 ECTS credits. During training, the acquisition of professional practical skills and abilities, the building of professional readiness for independent activity in the field of pharmacovigilance, the development of a pharmacovigilance professional as an organizer and coordinator of pharmacovigilance in the health care system or in the pharmacovigilance system of the applicant/registration certificate holder will take place. The program is based on modern scientific data, recommendations of good practices, regarding the implementation of pharmacovigilance and principles of evidence-based medicine in the field of modern medical care. The program ensures the acquisition of a high level of knowledge and skills of specialists who will work in the field of pharmacovigilance.

The information was provided by Oleksandra Oleshchuk.