Knowledge, opinion and attitudes towards adverse drug reactions reporting among pharmacy students in Romania

Abstract

Pharmacists’ contribution to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting is very low in Romania. Knowledge, opinion and attitudes on ADRs reporting and pharmacovigilance (PV) were tested in an e-survey on social media among pharmacy students in Romania, based on an anonymous questionnaire. 138 students from 9 pharmacy faculties participated in the survey. 58.7% were students in their final years of study. Among all students, 92% planned to report ADRs as future pharmacists, but only 48% of students in their last (fifth) year and 37% in their fourth year considered themselves prepared/ready to report. Overall, less than half (45.7%) of the students have studied PV, and 95% of all agreed that PV should be included in their curricula as a separate course. Most of the students (94%) knew that they could report ADRs to the National Competent Authority. Students considered that serious (94%), unknown (90%) ADRs and those related to a new medicine (90%) should be reported. Most students considered that the purpose of ADRs reporting is patient safety (85%) and detection of unknown ADRs (84%). 80% considered that ADRs reporting should be mandatory.