Staff in pharmacovigilance jobs are to be positively affected by new European legislation regulating the sector, according to an industry body.
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has welcomed new moves by the European Parliament to improve the transparency and responsibility of the drug safety process.
They will include the creation of a Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee within the European Medicines Agency, as well as a move to strengthen and improve the EudraVigilance community database.
Brian Ager, director general of EFPIA, said these measures must be implemented carefully if they wish to accomplish their goals, but expressed confidence they will help to "strengthen and rationalise" the European pharmacovigilance system.
He added: "We hope the EU's decision makers will demonstrate the same decisive action in adopting the proposals on information to patients and on measures to reduce counterfeiting."
According to the European Parliament, the new measures will help to curb the risk of adverse drug reactions among patients, a problem which currently costs the EU almost €80 billion (£68 billion) annually.