Impact of educational intervention on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance among postgraduates of a tertiary care center, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Introduction: Prescription of drugs should always be done in a judicious manner and with a satisfactory risk/benefit ratio. Pharmacotherapeutic agents are one of the important causes of adverse effects starting from mere inconvenience to permanent disability and death. Studies suggest that about 0.2%-24% of patients with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are subjected to hospital admission in India as well as in several highly developed industrialized countries. India contributes below 1% in terms of ADR reporting against the world rate of 5%. To enhance the reporting rate, it is important to improve the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of all the health-care professionals with regard to the ADR reporting and the pharmacovigilance (PV). Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the basic KAP of the postgraduate (PG) students at Meenakshi Medical College and Hospital, Enathur, Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India, regarding ADR monitoring and PV. Materials and Methods: This was a before and after comparison study with an educational intervention. A knowledge-, attitude-, and practice-based questionnaire on ADR reporting and PV program was prepared and administrated. Results: Participants had good theoretical knowledge regarding PV, but their attitudes and practical knowledge increased significantly after an educational intervention. The overall scores observed between pretest and posttest were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Educational intervention had proven to be an effective tool in improving the KAP of PV in the present study. Lack of motivation and training toward ADR reporting discourages PGs from reporting. Revisions are needed to include the clinical application of PV in the present academic curriculum. Ensuring a better safety profile for drugs can be done only through PV.