DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i12.057

Pages: 5086-5091

The purpose of pharmacovigilance is to improve patient safety but under-reporting is the main problem which is due to lack of adequate knowledge, attitude and practice among healthcare professionals towards ADR reporting. Therefore present questionnaire based study was conducted in medical students for assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to pharmacovigilance. A total of 250 medical students participated in the study. A self-administered pre‑validated,semi‑structured questionnaire 14-item questionnaire was used to understand student’s familiarity with regard to pharmacovigilance. Mean score of completeness of the questionnaire was 19.04 out of 20.During the study it was found that most of the students (80%) were aware of the definition of pharmacovigilance and 85% participants were of the view that ADRs should be reported by only doctors. Only 60% participants know about the location of international ADR monitoring centre and 90% participants know about institutional ADR centre. Whereas 74% opined that only serious ADR with any medicine should be reported and only 20% participants felt that ADR reporting is a professional obligation for doctors. 95% participants were of the view that pharmacovigilance should be taught in detail to healthcare professionals. Out of 81% of those seen ADR, only 20% of them reported it. We conclude that to improve the adverse drug reaction reporting in India, pharmacovigilance should be taught in details during undergraduate. During internship, students should be motivated to fill the case report form and participate in pharmacovigilance program and for students should be awarded to motivate them. It has been advised that medical students should be trained properly on ADR reporting to improve the pharmacovigilance program of the country.