Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices toward pharmacovigilance among under graduate medical students of a tertiary care teaching hospital of central India

Abstract

Background: Pharmacovigilance is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other possible drug-related problems. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) is global problem. It affects majority of population causing morbidity and mortality. Aims and Objectives: The present study was conducted to evaluate undergraduate student’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting. Materials and Methods: KAP-based questionnaire was shared among undergraduate medical students using Microsoft forms to assess the information about knowledge, KAP of pharmacovigilance. The KAP questionnaire was analyzed question-by-question, and the percentage values were calculated with the help of Microsoft Excel software. Results: In our study, 238 under graduate responded to questionnaire, and 80.25% of the total participants defined pharmacovigilance up to the mark, 75.63% were aware of the purpose of pharmacovigilance. Majority of the students (92.02%) knew that which ADRs should be reported. However, most of them did not have any idea of number of days within which serious adverse event in India should report. About 94.12% students agreed that reporting of ADR is necessary and 97.06% of them thought that pharmacovigilance reporting should be made compulsory. Among the respondents, 25.21% had come across ADR in their ward postings, 64.29% under graduate were not trained on reporting ADR, and only 11.34% ever reported ADRs from. Conclusion: From this study, it was clear that undergraduate medical students have good knowledge, positive attitude but lack of practice toward pharmacovigilance.

Knowledge and attitude towards pharmacovigilance among healthcare students at a medical college in Nepal

“…Our findings complies with the findings of Rermerman et al 25 In contrast to these finding, Tiwari et al from central India reported that the three fourth of the medical students were aware about the PV and ADR reporting because their institute has functioning adverse drug reaction monitoring center where adverse events from all the clinical disciplines were being reported regularly as well as PV and ADR reporting were in the curriculum of the medical students so they were sensitized about the importance of the ADR reporting and patient medication safety. 26 However, in developing countries like Nepal the PV program is still in the initial stage and this could lead to poor knowledge score. Majority of the students are unaware of ADR reporting system in Nepal and the significance of PV.…”