Cinemeducation: a rigorous method to teach pharmacovigilance procedures in clinical pharmacology

Abstract

The use of commercial films in medical education is an increasingly widespread pedagogical resource, and particularly the Cinemeducation method provides a theoretical basis as well as documented background on this pedagogical innovation. In this paper, we propose the use of a commercial film for teaching pharmacology, particularly pharmacovigilance and adverse effects of drugs, topics that are usually very complex for medical students. The rigorous method followed in the choice of the film and its scenes is detailed, as well as the methodological sequence of its use in class. The selected film, La fille de Brest by Emmanuelle Bercot, is based on the true story of Irène Frachon, a French doctor who begins to detect cases of cardiotoxicity associated with the consumption of a drug and undertakes a legal battle against the pharmaceutical company that produces and distributes it. The film reveals in detail the epidemiological study carried out at Brest Hospital and also the role of safety, pharmacovigilance and public health agencies in a complex plot that allows key aspects of pharmacovigilance to be discussed with medical students.