Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) pose both financial and health encumbrances for patients. Although prevalence and risk factors associated with ADRs have been published in many studies, most of them lack the statistical evidence for predictors. The aim of this study was to review the published literature to determine the risk factors in the adult and elderly population for ADRs. An electronic search of articles published in English language in databases such as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted in between January 2001 and April 2018. The search terms used were: “ADRs,” “drug-related problems,” “risk factors,” “general adult population,” “elderly patients,” and “hospital admission.” For inclusion in the review, studies had to include an explicit definition of what was considered an ADR and/or an explicit assessment of causality, as well as a clear description of the method used for ADR identification. Polypharmacy was the major risk factor of ADR followed by comorbidities and length of hospital stay.

Background: Farmers are extensively using pesticides for pest control in agriculture. Their precarious handling practices may lead to higher exposure resulting in adverse health effects. Aim: Current study was aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding pesticide usage and its toxic effects by farmers. Settings and Design: Cross sectional, Study Setting: Rural village in south Karnataka. Materials and Methods: Sample size: 171 farmers, Data collection: face to face standardized validated questionnaire. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square test. Results: A total of 118 males and 53 females participated in this study with median age of 40 years. About 61% of the farmers knew the harmful effects of pesticides. However, 22% of them were mixing the pesticides using their bare hands and 26% were not wearing any protective clothing during spraying pesticides. Around 67% were carelessly disposing the leftover pesticides in the open fields. Skin problems and neurological system disturbances were the most common pesticide related health symptoms. Equipment washing practices ( P < 0.05) and protective clothing ( P < 0.03) were significant predictors of health related problems. Significant associations were found between the occurrence of headache and equipment washing practices ( P < 0.03), storage of pesticide remains ( P < 0.02) and protective clothing ( P < 0.01). Conclusion: These findings showed that knowledge level is adequate among farmers but this did not reflect in their practice. There is a need for continuous pesticide safety education along with training to the farmers regarding use of personal protective devices, personal hygiene and sanitation practices during and after application of pesticides.

Objective: Hypertension is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and proper assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) factors are helpful in its management. Our aim was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice among hypertensive patients and the impact of patient counselling on the same. Methods:A prospective study was conducted among hypertensive patients from November 2015 to April 2016. Suitably designed and validated KAP questionnaire was used to evaluate the baseline KAP score. Patient information leaflets were provided after counselling. After 3 mo patients were followed up and their KAP scores were reassessed and data were analysed.Results: Before the intervention, the mean score±SD of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 11.76(SD±4.58); 5.14(SD±2.13); 9.26(SD±1.66) which increased to 14.29(SD±2.95); 5.74(SD±1.39); 10.32(SD±1.33) respectively after the intervention. Conclusion:Our study suggests that pharmacist mediated counselling plays a vital role in improving patients' knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the disease management.

Data source AE reports from the FDA AERS database were used for the study. It is a surveillance program used for detecting serious AEs that have not been identified during premarketing analysis. 12

Objective: This study was conducted with the aim to assess the knowledge and attitude of self-medication practices among the residents of an urban community. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among 270 participants for the duration of 6 months using a semi-structured questionnaire which consisted of the domains of knowledge and attitude. Logistic regression was used for drawing statistical inferences. Results: The prevalence of self-medication was found to be 37.04%. It was found that 73.33% of the respondents were aware of the term “self-medication” and their major source for information was obtained through acquaintances (44.44%). About 68.55% of the participants agreed that self-medication is a part of taking care of oneself and it needs to be encouraged. Overall, the participants had a good knowledge and positive attitude toward the practice of self-medication. Conclusion: This study mainly focuses on improving the subjects’ knowledge, thereby bringing changes in the attitude and practice toward disease management. Understanding the subjects’ level of knowledge and attitude will enable a more efficient process for creating an awareness among the public to ensure its safe and responsible use.