Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Pharmacovigilance Awareness among Interns at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Introduction: Pharmacovigilance plays an important role in the healthcare sector, in terms of health and economic burden. Studies on interns are limited and it is an aspect that requires further study. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude and perception of MBBS interns at a teaching hospital in southern India. Also to study the reasons for under-reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR). Materials and Methods: This questionnaire-based, crosssectional study was conducted among the 112 MBBS interns at Konaseema Institute of Medical sciences and Research Foundation, Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, India, in December 2013. The interns were asked to complete 25 predesigned questionnaire based on the Knowledge, Attitude and Perception (KAP). The answered questionnaires were statistically analysed by using Microsoft Excel worksheet. Results: Out of total 112 MBBS interns, only 94 completed the questionnaire within the stipulated time. There were 41 males and 53 females, with a mean age of 25±2 years. The response rate was 83.9%. A 48 (51.1%) interns had come across Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) cases during their practice, however, among them only 24 (50%) reported them. Difficulty to identify the causative drug was the major cause for under-reporting as per 23 (24.4%) interns. Majority (60.6%) were of the opinion that pharmacovigilance only covers drug-related side-effects, not other types of side-effects. Conclusion: Interns are the upcoming doctors, hence increased attention must be paid to their lack of pharmacovigilance knowledge in order to improve the clinical management and rational use of drugs.