Drug safety in Nepal

Safety assessment of medicine starts from the predevelopment stage in the research laboratory and continues until the medicine is excreted from the human body and ultimately until the safe disposal of unused medications. In the recent past, Nepal has seen progress in capacity building and incorporation of a national pharmacovigilance program and several other steps ensuring patient safety. This chapter introduces various medicine use-related problems in Nepal and provides an overview on existing knowledge on these issues. A list of various challenges and possible solutions, along with future recommendations, are provided. The need for policy changes and curricula changes in the relevant areas are highlighted. Strategies for sustaining and strengthening the existing activities and the need for more awareness and training programs to health workers are emphasized.