Agnes Kant appointed as professor at Leiden University
Epidemiologist and director of the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb, Agnes Kant, has been appointed as professor in pharmacovigilance innovation at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC). She will explore how the safety of medications can be better monitored. Kant: "Pharmacovigilance needs to be faster and better".
Around 11 million people regularly use medicines in the Netherlands, with 14% using five or more. It is estimated that 5 to 6% of acute hospital admissions are due to medication-related problems, rising to 10% among those aged 65 and older. Kant: “Knowledge about adverse drugs reactions (ADRs) is important for the choice in prescribing medicines. It's also important to recognize them timely and prevent serious consequences."
Faster and better
Much knowledge about ADRs remains under the radar for too long. Between 2008 and 2017, the majority (85%) of safety signals released by Lareb concerned medications that had been on the market for 10 years or more. Kant: "We aim for faster, and more in depth knowledge of ADRs. This applies to both unknown and known ADRs. For known ADRs it is relevant to have information about their frequency, time course, whether they resolve or persist, who is at risk, and their impact on patients."
LUMC and Lareb
With this professorship, the LUMC and Lareb will collaborate to enhance medication safety monitoring. The professorship falls within the Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology department and will utilize novel methods such as artificial intelligence and underused data sources like hospital data, social media, and patient experiences.
