Health Products and Food Branch International Pharmacovigilance Symposium

On June 6, 2012, the Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) hosted a half-day International Pharmacovigilance Symposium under the theme of federal post-market surveillance activities. The event also served to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of HPFB's Marketed Health Products Directorate (MHPD).

Guest speakers presented on the following topics:

• The Past and Future of Pharmacovigilance Activities at the Marketed Health Products Directorate
  Mrs. Cindy Evans
  Associate Director General, Marketed Health Products Directorate
• Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology: Advances in Methodology Developments and Tools
  Dr. Yola Moride
  Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal
• Post-market Drug Safety in the US: What's New?
  Mrs. Claudia Manzo
  Director, Division of Risk Management
  Food & Drugs Administration
• Evolution of the Phamacovigilance Regulatory Framework and Legislation in the European Union
  Dr. Stella Blackburn
  Risk Management Development and Scientific Lead
  European Medicines Agency

Following these presentations, a panel composed of directors from MHPD and members of HPFB's Expert Advisory Committee on the Vigilance of Health Products (EAC-VHP) discussed their perspectives on advances in and the future of pharmacovigilance.

Panellists included:

• Dr. Marc Berthiaume (MHPD representative)
• Dr. Duc Vu (MHPD representative)
• Dr. Sarah Frise (EAC-VHP industry representative)
• Dr. Jenna Griffiths (MHPD representative)
• Ms. Sylvia Hyland (EAC-VHP health professional representative)

To obtain copies of the presentations listed above as well as a summary of questions and answers from the panel discussion; contact the Marketed Health Products Directorate (MHPD).