Pharmacovigilance in older adults – New podcast episode

In focus / 29 October 2024

Compared to the general population, older adults are more at risk of experiencing adverse drug reactions. Why is this the case, and what does this mean for pharmacovigilance?


Medication-related-harm (MRH) is especially prevalent in older adults due to changing physiology as the body ages, increased frailty, and the incidence of polypharmacy in this patient group. Giovanni Furlan, Worldwide Safety Site Lead for Thessaloniki of Pfizer discusses what makes this patient group so vulnerable to adverse drug reactions, how poor representation and using age alone to define older adults exacerbates this problem, and suggests ways forward in monitoring drug safety in older patients.

You may also like


The One Health approach aims to uphold human, animal, and environmental health

The One Health approach emphasises how human, animal and environmental health are interlinked and must be prioritised to prevent future global health crises.

In focus / 20 February 2025

New film shines a light on Colombia’s pharmacovigilance journey

The latest "WHO PIDM in Focus" film highlights the collaboration between WHO, UMC, and Colombia in the development of medicines and vaccines safety in the country.

In focus / 27 February 2025

It takes a community to make medicines safer for all

The ‘PV in the Community’ special interest group explores how a community-focused approach can enhance medication safety and foster a more patient-centric pharmacovigilance system.

In focus / 10 March 2025