​Saudi Food and Drug Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with the Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh to establish pharmacovigilance office, which will be directly connected to the National Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Center in the Authority.

SFDA was represented by Dr. Adel Al-harf, Vice President for Drug Sector and the Security Forces Hospital was represented by Dr. Suleiman Al-Suhaimi for the signature of the agreement.

The Office monitors the expected and unexpected, serious and unserious side effects of  drugs and sends them to the National Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Center,  to support and encourage the legalization of the use of drugs to reach the best ways for patients’ treatment, improve the public health to collect information and opinions regarding the safety of drugs and to participate transparently and clearly in the program, in addition to raising the level of awareness of the employees of the health institution through lectures and scientific activities.

SFDA aims to activate the role of health practitioners and raise the level of integrated work with the health institutions in order to improve the safe usage of pharmaceuticals in post-marketing.