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BPOM's drug app not a panacea: Experts
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An employee collects medicinal syrups that contain paracetamol at a minimarket in South Tangerang, Banten, on Oct. 19, 2022. (Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin )
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new app launched by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BOPM), which allows health workers and the pharmaceutical industry to report drug side effects, is a step in the right direction to strengthen monitoring. But a change in regulation is necessary to prevent another disastrous distribution of tainted medicine, experts have said.
The BPOM launched last week the electronic monitoring of drugs side effects (e-MESO) mobile, an app version of the adverse drug events reporting website, e-meso.pom.go.id, previously created by the agency.
BPOM chief Penny K. Lukito said she hoped this innovation could streamline the reporting process and eventually increase the number of adverse drug events reported.
"The BPOM cannot work alone in pharmacovigilance. We need support and active participation from the pharma industry, health workers and drug users. Unfortunately, on a global scale, we still have very low adverse drug events reports, less than 10,000 per year. We hope this app could change the situation," Penny said during the launch of e-MESO mobile on March 21.
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.
Junaidi Khotib, pharmaceutical expert from Airlangga University, said although the app could help strengthen Indonesia's pharmacovigilance system, it would not close all loopholes in the country's drug monitoring system.
"I appreciate the BPOM launching yet another tool to strengthen the post-market drug safety monitoring. This app will make reporting drug adverse events easier and faster, and eventually will help the agency to act faster if there's safety issues after drug approval," Junaidi told The Jakarta Post Monday.
