What is the purpose of pharmacovigilance in SUD medications?

• A. To market new medications.
• B. Monitoring adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, and safety signals to ensure ongoing safe use.
• C. To determine cost-effectiveness only.
• D. To enforce regulatory status.

Answer: (B)

Ongoing safety surveillance after a medication is available for use, focusing on detecting adverse effects, potential drug–drug interactions, and safety signals so that the medication can be used safely over time. In substance use disorder treatment, this matters because patients often take multiple therapies and have complex health issues, which can reveal risks not seen in initial trials. Pharmacovigilance collects real-world reports, analyzes patterns, and helps determine if risks require changes in labeling, dosing recommendations, or risk mitigation strategies. The aim is to keep the benefits of SUD meds outweighing the risks in everyday practice. It isn’t about marketing, solely assessing cost-effectiveness, or enforcing regulatory status, though its findings can influence those areas as part of overall safety management.