The definition of pharmacovigilance was first proposed in the 1970s to safeguard public health and the safety of drug use, and to improve the quality of life of patients. China’s traditional medicine has also always contained the idea of vigilance for the safe use of medicines in the process of development. In this article, we will discuss the origin and development of the idea of pharmacovigilance in China, the establishment of a realistic system, and the current status of pharmacovigilance construction, and look forward to the development of pharmacovigilance in the future.