Bisphosphonates are chemical-related to pyrophosphate. The oxygen atom in pyrophosphate is substituted by a carbon atom in these compounds, resulting in a P-C-P bond. They are potent antiresorptive medicines because they have a strong inhibitory effect on osteoclasts. It lowers fracture risk by reducing bone turnover, increasing bone mineral density, and decreasing fracture risk in the lumbar spine and hip. Bisphosphonates are strongly attracted to bone surfaces, where they accumulate, primarily at remodeling sites. They are rarely associated with systemic side effects due to their selectivity in action. Irritation of the upper gastrointestinal tract is the most common side effect. A strong third-generation bisphosphonate, zoledronate, is currently approved to treat postmenopausal-induced osteoporosis. This review mainly focuses on the mechanism of action, therapeutic uses, and its adverse effects.

Background and Objectives: Under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a major concern of the pharmacovigilance program of India and has deteriorated further with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Imparting the knowledge of pharmacovigilance among nursing students would significantly enhance patient care. Hence, this study was framed to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on awareness and attitude of ADR reporting among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test study was conducted among nursing students of a tertiary care hospital in South India. The students were asked to fill out a validated questionnaire to assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on ADR reporting, before and after the educational intervention. Knowledge and attitude results were analysed using Mc Nemar’s test. Results: A total of 135 nursing students attended the educational intervention and completed pretest and post-test questionnaires. Around 130 (96.3%) and 107 (79.3%) students were aware of pharmacovigilance and ADR monitoring center following the intervention. Median (interquartile range) of knowledge scores before and after the intervention were 3 (2-3) and 5 (3-7), respectively. Overall knowledge score of ADR reporting significantly improved after the intervention. Sixty two (45.9%) students agreed that ADR reporting would enhance patient safety. ADR reporting was practised by 52 (38.5%) participants. Nearly, 107 (79.3%) students were interested to participate in similar pharmacovigilance training programs. Conclusion: Educational intervention in pharmacovigilance improved the cognitive and affective domains of pharmacovigilance in nursing students. Periodic training programs are essential for sustained behavioural change in students.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has imposed a serious health impact afflicting millions of people and halting global progress significantly. Albeit vaccines for COVID-19 emerged as a potent approach to overcome the morbidity, its suspicion had been persisting across diverse categories of people, including healthcare students. Since studies exploring the acceptance of vaccines among healthcare students from India were limited, this study has been formulated to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare students of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a self-reporting questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted via online platforms. By convenience sampling method, participants were enrolled. Primary outcomes were expressed as frequency and Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups. Results: Out of 562 participants, there were 268 medical, 90 dental, 70 nursing and 134 allied health science students. Female participants (65.1%) were more compared to male participants (35.9%) and the mean age of participants was 19 years. Medical students had significantly better knowledge about vaccine doses (98.5%), route of administration (85.4%) and priority candidates for vaccines (95.9%) than students of other courses. Overall, 438 (77.9%) students were interested to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Fear of adverse effects (44.7%) was the major concern for vaccine administration among study participants. Medical course [Odds Ratio (OR) 3.95; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.22-7.06] and family history of COVID-19 disease (OR 2.57; 95% C:1.28-5.17) positively influenced the willingness of students for vaccines. Conclusion: Maximum participants were convinced of COVID-19 vaccination and medical students exhibited better vaccine knowledge. This knowledge gap among healthcare students in diverse courses should be addressed via consistent vaccine sensitization programs.