The Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS Bhopal was established on April 17, 2013 at the same time as the foundation of the college was being laid. Located on the third floor of the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Bhavan,
the department of Pharmacology is committed to strive for excellence in teaching as well as research. There
are six faculty members in the department who are actively engaged in teaching MBBS II, BSc (Hons.) II
Nursing students. Apart from didactic lectures, teaching also involves demonstration exercises in
experimental Pharmacology and clinical pharmacology, tutorials, group discussions on clinical oriented
problems, and seminars related to Pharmacology. The right mentorship to the next generation of researchers
enrolled has been a priority under the post graduate programme which was started in the year 2017, DM
program, which has been initiated in January 2024, as a super specialisation course and PhD programme
which was started in year 2023. The department also renders skilled support to the community through
therapeutic drug monitoring, Pharmacovigilance (since 2014), Materiovigilance (since 2019),
Pharmacogenomics (since 2023) and encouraging rational prescribing and providing drug information
services.
Vision and Mission
The Department of Pharmacology aims to provide professional services to the community through-
● Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM): A TDM unit will be set up in the department to help monitor
therapy with drugs with low therapeutic index.
● Pharmacovigilance: The department will continue to function as an adverse drug reaction (ADR)
Monitoring Centre (AMC) and Regional Training Centre (RTC) under the Pharmacovigilance
Programme of India (PvPI). It will continue to monitor adverse drug reactions in patients coming to
AIIMS Bhopal and also endeavour to create awareness amongst health care professionals and patients
about the importance of reporting ADRs.
● Materiovigilance: The department will continue to function as medical devices Adverse
Event Monitoring Centre (MDMC) and Regional Training Centre (RTC) under the Materiovigilance
Programme of India (MvPI). It will continue to monitor adverse events related to medical devices
coming to AIIMS Bhopal and also make an effort to build awareness amongst health care
professionals and patients about the importance of reporting such events.
● Rational use of drugs: The department of Pharmacology will continue to encourage rational
prescribing through regular outpatient and inpatient prescription audits and feedbacks, presentations
etc.
● Pharmacogenetics: A unit for pharmacogenetics is under establishment in project mode to elucidate
and apply its role in therapeutics & causation of adverse drug reactions.
● To start late phase clinical trials (independently and as part of the INTENT network of ICMR) and
setup a Phase I clinical trial centre.
● Drug Information Services: A drug information Centre will be established which will answer any
query related to drug use and toxicity.
● Participate in and facilitate the functioning of the analytical toxicology laboratory set up by the
department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.
The mission of the department is to:
● Impart learning and education in pharmacology in order to train a medical graduate who is
competent to prescribe safely and effectively.
● To enhance and encourage basic and clinical research (including interdisciplinary research
collaborations) in Pharmacology.
● To provide professional services to the community through Therapeutic Drug Monitoring,
Pharmacovigilance, and Materiovigilance.
● To encourage rational use of medicines through Prescription research and Antimicrobial
Stewardship.
● Pharmacovigilance
The Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS Bhopal, is a Regional Training Centre for
Pharmacovigilance for the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and an Adverse Drug
Reaction Monitoring Centre (RTC-AMC) under the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI).
The centre has till March 2023, reported 3873 Adverse Drug Events to the National Coordinating
Centre of PvPI and has received a letter of appreciation from the Indian Pharmacopeia Commission
(IPC) Ghaziabad, for excellence in reporting in the years 2017- 2019. We have played a vital role
during Covid -19 vaccination by reporting 398 AEFI (Adverse Events Following Immunization).
We are also a member of the State AEFI Committee. In 2021, RTC-AMC AIIMS Bhopal received a
certificate of appreciation for being among the top 10 AMCs across India in terms of reporting
ADRs and other activities related to Pharmacovigilance, like conducting awareness programmes.
● Materiovigilance
The department of Pharmacology is a Regional Training Centre (RTC) for Materiovigilance for the
states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh under the Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI).
RTC-MDMC is run by the Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS Bhopal under the Materiovigilance
Programme of India (MvPI) since August 30, 2019. Till March 2023, we have reported 428 cases of
adverse events related to medical devices. We have organized sensitization and awareness programs
for nursing officers, for our department and other departments too with hands-on experience
imparted in these training sessions in our institute. These awareness sessions will be continued
ahead with involvement of nursing students and paramedical staff.
● ICMR Centre for Safe and Rational Use of Medicine
The Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS Bhopal has been functioning as a safe and Rational Use of
Medicine Center (RUMC) by ICMR.
Education
All academic staff members share a commitment to top-quality teaching which emphasises general
principles of Pharmacology and Clinical Therapeutics and integrate into it the latest findings of modern
research. The teaching is patient-centric with case-based learning, small group teaching and practical, goal-
oriented acquisition of skills.
Our Academic goals are-
● To train undergraduates in the discipline of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology
● To mentor the next generation of researchers enrolled in postgraduate research programs in
Pharmacology.
● To foster independent research by the academic staff.
These are realized through interactive lectures, practical, group discussions, student seminars, tutorials and
integrated teaching sessions with other disciplines. The students are expected to engage in academic
activities, such as studying the scientific literature with the goal of integrating new findings into their own
research questions, and attending lectures, seminars, journal clubs and scientific discussions in order to keep
abreast of the most recent scientific developments. This foster students’ professional development,
establishing a scientific method of learning that will persist throughout their careers.
Current Activities
| S.No. |
Date |
Name of activity |
Status |
Remark |
|---|
|
1.
|
17/4/23 to 18/4/23
|
National PharmaCon
|
Completed
|
Completed
|
|
2.
|
25/8/23
|
CME: Pharmacovigilance
|
Completed
|
Completed
|
|
3.
|
22/9/23
|
CME: Materiovigilance
|
Completed
|
Completed
|
|
4.
|
17/9/23 to 23/9/23
|
National Pharmacovigilance
|
Completed
|
Completed
|
|
5.
|
24/11/23
|
PharmQuest
|
Completed
|
Completed
|
|
6.
|
17/4/24
|
Foundation Day Oration
|
Forthcoming
|
Forthcoming
|
