Developing a Pharmacovigilance Strengthening Plan for Public Hospitals in Sokoto State

Pharmacovigilance systems in public hospitals in Sokoto State are critically underdeveloped, resulting in substantial underreporting of adverse drug reactions and limited post-marketing surveillance capacity. This study developed a pharmacovigilance strengthening plan specifically designed for public hospitals in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. A needs assessment combining document review, structured interviews with 35 healthcare workers and two pharmacovigilance focal persons, and facility audit at eight public hospitals formed the basis for gap identification. Gaps identified included absence of facility-level ADR reporting committees, lack of pharmacovigilance focal persons in 62.5 percent of hospitals, limited knowledge of yellow card reporting tools, and insufficient supervisory oversight from the national pharmacovigilance centre. The strengthening plan developed encompasses six strategic areas: human resource development through pharmacovigilance training modules, establishment of facility ADR committees, electronic ADR reporting integration with the National Pharmacovigilance Centre portal, quarterly reporting targets and performance monitoring, prescriber and patient education campaigns, and regulatory compliance auditing. Budget estimates and phased implementation timelines over 24 months are provided. Expert review by 10 pharmacovigilance and clinical pharmacy specialists confirmed the plan's feasibility and contextual appropriateness. The study recommends the plan be adopted by the Sokoto State Ministry of Health and that its implementation be co-ordinated with the National Pharmacovigilance Centre to align with national drug safety monitoring priorities.

Keywords: pharmacovigilance strengthening, adverse drug reactions, Sokoto State, ADR reporting, drug safety