As more people worldwide gain access to antiretroviral (ARV) medications, there is a growing need to improve global drug safety monitoring or pharmacovigilance, according to a report in PLoS Medicine. The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research gathered key stakeholders to discuss creating a global pharmacovigilance system for ARVs. Numerous barriers to such a system were identified. They include overcoming poor communication among stakeholders; navigating national sovereignty; recognizing safety of patients and workers over competition and price; partnering research monies; collecting data in an active and continuous system rather than a sporadic one; maintaining confidentiality of pharmaceutical records; and surmounting the conflicts between generic versions of meds and innovative ARV manufacturers.

To read the PLoS Medicine article, click here.