By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Soaring Medical Costs Pinned on Medical Devices
    June 7, 2011
    Debt Ceiling Negotiations on Health Care are Mere Cost Shifting
    July 15, 2011
    Is Kathleen Sebelius Listening to the NCPA?
    August 29, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Automation in Pharmacovigilance: A Double-Edged Sword
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Pharmaceuticals > Automation in Pharmacovigilance: A Double-Edged Sword
PharmaceuticalsPolicy & Law

Automation in Pharmacovigilance: A Double-Edged Sword

The pharmaceutical industry is relying more heavily on AI to implement automation to boost efficiency.

Alexandra Rivers
Alexandra Rivers
Share
5 Min Read
AI in pharmaceutical industry
Shutterstock Licensed Photo - 2314449325 | Stock-Asso
SHARE

AI technology is rapidly changing the future of the pharmaceutical sector. Pharmaceutical companies spent $908 million on AI last year, but that figure is growing by 29% a year.

Contents
The promise of automation in pharmacovigilanceThe reliability questionThe irreplaceable role of pharmacovigilance specialistsBalancing automation and human expertiseConclusion

A significant concern for pharmaceutical companies is closely tracking publications that discuss the safety of their products. For instance, the literature search process within the EU is subject to strict regulations, necessitating weekly searches.

The rapid expansion of medical literature and the surge in scientific publications have posed growing difficulties for pharmacovigilance experts in staying updated with the most recent information. To tackle this issue, many have looked to artificial intelligence (AI) and automated systems for support. Nevertheless, there are emerging apprehensions about the reliability of AI-driven platforms. Indeed, it’s essential to delve into the root causes of these concerns among pharmacovigilance specialists and determine the extent to which these concerns are warranted.

The promise of automation in pharmacovigilance

Automation in pharmacovigilance holds excellent promise. AI-driven platforms have the potential to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of medical literature monitoring significantly. These systems can swiftly sift through vast scientific articles and pinpoint relevant information. They also assist pharmacovigilance specialists in identifying adverse events associated with drugs or medical devices. Automated systems can also help in the early detection of safety signals, making it possible to take timely actions to protect patient safety. In addition, they can reduce the burden on human reviewers by automating repetitive tasks. This enables human reviewers to concentrate on more complex and nuanced aspects of pharmacovigilance work.

More Read

DC Conference: FDA At A Crossroads
ICD-10 Delay: What It Means to You
PQRS and the Benefits of Participating in 2015
Paul Ryan’s Medicare Reform Falls Short
Filing Deadlines for Malpractice Lawsuits to Cover Medical Bills

The reliability question

One of the key challenges in using automation for literature monitoring is the inherent ambiguity and complexity of medical language. Scientific articles often use specialized terminology, abbreviations, and jargon that can be difficult for automated systems to interpret accurately. This can lead to misclassifying articles as relevant or irrelevant, potentially missing critical information. Also, automated systems need the contextual understanding that human reviewers possess. They may need help differentiating between articles discussing the same drug in different contexts. This can lead to errors in signal detection and an inaccurate assessment of a drug’s safety profile.

The irreplaceable role of pharmacovigilance specialists

Let’s get down to the facts. Automating the search and review process leads to a remarkable 70-85% reduction in the manual effort and time devoted to monitoring. Furthermore, automated solutions accommodate all document types, including PDF, word, and jpeg. This automation of literature monitoring empowers pharmaceutical companies to efficiently oversee a significant volume of publications in diverse languages and frequencies. However, it’s important to note that automation can’t replace the expertise of pharmacovigilance specialists. It goes beyond just understanding medical terminology. Expertise in your products, their safety profiles, and the intricacies of production processes are aspects that automation can’t replicate.

Balancing automation and human expertise

Pharmacovigilance experts should adopt a well-balanced approach to using AI to foster automation in the pharmaceutical industry. Although automated systems can significantly enhance efficiency, they should be regarded as supplements to human expertise rather than substitutes. Human reviewers are vital for validating automatic results and offering the necessary contextual comprehension that machines lack.

A good illustration of this dynamic interaction between machine learning algorithms and human professionals can be found in the DrugCard platform blog. For example, an automated platform can analyze a 200-page journal in just 1.5-5 minutes. A pharmacovigilance specialist will likely only have time to skim the journal’s contents in the same time frame. Indeed, the successful collaboration between the speed of automated systems and human expertise is highly effective in pharmacovigilance.

Conclusion

The reliability of AI-driven platforms in pharmacovigilance remains a subject of concern. By maintaining a balanced approach that combines automation with human expertise, pharmacovigilance specialists can harness the full potential of this promising technology. Simultaneously, they can minimize associated risks through diligent monitoring and validation of results. In this ever-evolving field, striking the right balance between automation and human insight is the key to ensuring patient safety and the integrity of pharmacovigilance efforts.

TAGGED:ai and healthcarehealthcare technologypharmaceutical
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Alexandra Rivers
I am Alexandra Rivers, a highly experienced healthcare professional with extensive experience in hospital administration. With over 10 years of experience working in the field, I have developed a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare industry and its complexities.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Graduation Day from a Clot-Preventing Clinical Trial

January 21, 2012

Secret Shoppers in Doctors’ Offices: Placebo Medicine for Physicians

October 3, 2011

Healthcare Innovation: Moving from Stewardship to Leadership

September 9, 2012

Following the French on Alzheimer’s care

October 19, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?