Web-based reporting of adverse drug reactions in Italy

Healthcare professionals and consumers can report using paper, telephone or e-mail but in many countries web-based system or specific Apps for smartphone are available for the purpose. The recent European law on Pharmacovigilance (PV) requires National PV Centres to setup web-based systems for reporting. In Italy ADRs reporting via web is now possible thanks to the collaboration between the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) and the University of Verona, where the Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre of Veneto region is located. The new web-reporting platform is called VigiFarmaco (www.vigifarmaco.it). This study aims to verify the impact of its implementation on underreporting in Italy.