WHO-UMC at TGA Pharmacovigilance training course

Between 4-15 November 2002 the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) was very pleased to host the training course WHO-UMC at TGA Pharmacovigilance - the Study of Adverse Drug Reactions. The course was fully cost-recovered.

Participants at the pharmacovigilance training course

Staff from the Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC - the WHO Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring) in Sweden assisted several TGA staff in delivering the course. This is the 7th WHO-UMC pharmacovigilance training course and the first time this course has been held outside Sweden.

In addition, representatives from WHO Geneva, the University of Newcastle, the University of Sydney, Monash University and the Australian pharmaceutical industry delivered presentations to the course participants.

Twenty-five participants from sixteen countries attended the course at the TGA building in Symonston, Canberra. Participants attended from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Jordan, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Seven of the Australian participants were staff from Australian pharmaceutical companies.

The aim of the training course is to support the development of programs for spontaneous adverse reaction reporting as programs are being established in an increasing number of countries around the world.

Dr John McEwen of the TGA, who shared coordination of the course with Mr Sten Olsson of Uppsala, said that the faculty was delighted with the enthusiasm and hard work of the course participants, and that he felt a rewarding experience was had by everyone involved with the course.