The adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting system in India came into existence in 2010 through an initiative by the Government, the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), considering the social and economic consequences of drug effects. Though the system is functioning effectively for almost a decade, there has been a lacuna in reporting due to the lack of awareness among the patients who are the direct consumers. Medicine side-effects reporting is the newest initiative started in 2014 by PvPI, and the forms for consumer reporting is made available in over 10 different Indian languages like Tamil, Hindi, etc. It is imperative to determine the level of awareness among the public regarding drug side-effects and the existence of a National Programme to monitor the same, especially in a country like India with a population of nearly 1.38 billion. The aim of this study was to determine the awareness among the general population about the ADR reporting system in India. This cross-sectional study was done over a period of one year amongst the general public in South India. Data was collected from about 338 participants using a standardized questionnaire and analyzed descriptively using SPSS statistical software version 24. The overall response rate was 93.8%, and the mean age was 35.62 ± 10.43 years. Though the respondents had sufficient knowledge (66%) about ADRs, their awareness about the reporting system was very poor (19%). Reporting through phone (78%) was preferred over-reporting through specific forms (10%). To conclude, our study emphasizes that public participation and awareness are crucial in strengthening the existing system of Pharmacovigilance.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to a wide range of clinical therapies outside of conventional medicine used along with the physician prescribed drugs to complement the treatment. It is widely accepted and used across the globe. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of use of CAM among the general population and to determine the acceptability, extent and pattern of CAM use. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was done among the general population in South India. 300 participants aged >18 years were included in the study irrespective of their genders. An interviewer-administered questionnaire with 20 questions was used to assess CAM usage. The statistical analysis was done by Chi-square test using SPSS version 25. The mean age was 50.39 (± 15.67) years. CAM usage was significantly influenced by age, educational qualification, occupation, geographical area and accessibility to a health care facility. The prevalence of CAM usage was found to be 62%. Homeopathy/Herbal medicine (34%) was the most commonly used CAM. About 35% had used CAM without the knowledge of their treating physician. More than 60% believe that CAM is safe with fewer side effects and around half of them had symptomatic relief following CAM usage. Our study results indicate the need for more studies testing various CAM modalities exploring their uses, adverse effects & interactions with other drugs, which in turn can guide the physicians in their treatment.
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