Poisons board launches app to report adverse effects of Covid

Kenyans can now report adverse reactions of Covid-19 vaccines and suspected poor quality medicines through their mobile phones.

This is after the Pharmacy and Poisons Board launched the mobile-based solution on Wednesday to strengthen reporting and vigilance on safety quality issues for drugs and technologies in Kenya.

The mobile solutions comes both as an app that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store by dialling the USSD code *271# and can be used by both healthcare providers and the public.

Once you dial the USSD code on your phone, you will be prompted to continue either in English or Kiswahili where you will be required either to add a new report or continue filing a report.

You will also be required to indicate whether you are reporting on behalf of someone or your own behalf.

You will further include your gender, age group and a few symptoms you have experienced and what you want to report about.

The details can be about an adverse reaction or poor quality medicines.

“If the symptoms you have experienced are not on the provided list, you can go ahead and add them," Christine Gichiki from board said.

"[You can also] provide the date of when the reaction started, whether it is ongoing and provide the name of the medicine or vaccine and when you stopped taking the medication."

Other details you will be required to submit include the name of the manufacturer and where you got the medication from.

The same details will be requested if you decide to report using the app option.

According to the PPB chief executive Fred Siyoi, more than 16,000 reports of adverse reactions have been received through the existing national reporting system Pharmacovigilance Electronic Reporting System.

The system was launched in March 2021 to increase and improve consumer reporting, especially with the deployment of Covid-19 vaccines.

“We need to sensitise people more to use the app, especially the public. As we use the system we will know where there are issues and come up with a perfect system,” Siyoi said.

In line with its mandate in protecting public health and promote patient safety, the board has leveraged on mobile solutions as a means to further engage the public in reporting of adverse events.

“With the system, patients can provide firsthand information and experiences for both over the counter and prescription medicines," Health CAS Rashid Aman said during the launch.

"Capturing such reports for analysis is critical as only patients can provide such information.” 

The solution supports the reporting of the adverse events following immunisation, adverse drug reactions and suspected poor quality medical products and technologies.

It also supports the reporting of medication errors, transfusion reactions, medical devices incidents and public reporting via the USSD.

(edited by Amol Awuor)