ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE IN A MEDICAL COLLEGE OF NEPAL

Introduction: Pharmacovigilance is the science that relates to the collection, detection, assessment, monitoring and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADR). The incidence of ADR is 2.4-6.5% in western countries, with only 6-10% reported worldwide. The under-reporting of ADR is due to inadequate knowledge, attitude, and practice among the prescribers about the system. Thus, medical students who are the future drug prescribers bear a crucial role in bridging this gap. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out among 261 medical undergraduates including interns at Maharajgunj Medical Campus in Kathmandu. Self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The responses were analyzed and descriptive statistics are presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: In this study, 94.3% of students responded that doctors, nurses, and pharmacists need to report ADR as they encounter them but only 13.8% responded to have reported ADR to the concerned authority. Also, 97.3% of respondents answered that ADR reporting should be taught in their medical college. Conclusion: In conclusion, medical students are not adequately aware of ADR reporting system. A proper orientation to pharmacovigilance should be given to the medical students by incorporating it into the medical curriculum and providing training to future healthcare professionals.