Perspective of Saudi undergraduate pharmacy students on pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reaction reporting: A National Survey

Evaluation of the knowledge of and attitudes towards pharmacovigilance among healthcare students in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Knowledge of pharmacovigilance (PV) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the core competencies that healthcare students should acquire during their studies. The objective of this study was to assess attitudes towards and knowledge of PV and ADRs among healthcare students in China.

METHODS

An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted nationally among healthcare students in China from April through October 2023. Knowledge of PV and ADRs was assessed using a questionnaire based on current PV guidelines. We performed logistic regression analysis to determine the potential factors related to knowledge of and attitudes towards PV and ADRs.

RESULTS

A total of 345 students were included in the analysis. Among the healthcare students who participated in the survey, 225 (65.22%) students correctly defined PV, while only 68 (19.71%) had a correct understanding of ADRs. Among all respondents included in the analysis, only 71 (20.58%) reported having taken a PV course. Pharmacy students were more likely to have taken PV courses at a university and to demonstrate superior knowledge compared to other healthcare students. The logistic regression model revealed that the significant predictors of a higher level of PV knowledge were being female (odds ratio [OR]: 1.76; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-2.92; P value: 0.028) and having previously taken PV-related courses (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.06-3.80; P value: 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that healthcare students' knowledge of PV and ADRs is unsatisfactory. However, there were a limited number of universities providing PV education. Given the vital role of healthcare professionals in identifying and reporting ADRs, our findings raise significant concerns. Hence, more efforts should be made to enhance PV education for future healthcare professionals.

Involvement of pharmacy students in scientific research activities in Vietnam

INTRODUCTION

Scientific research is a crucial section of health-related student education to ensure the competence of graduates. This study is the first to explore attitudes on research, willingness and motivation to conduct research, and barriers preventing this amid pharmacy students in Can Tho, Vietnam.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was performed on undergraduate pharmacy students (years four and five) from three public and private universities in Can Tho, Vietnam between April and May 2021.

RESULTS

Of the 576 respondents, the majority accredited the significance of conducting research to the field of pharmacy (85.9%) with the motivation of improving the profession (81.6%). Public university respondents were more than twice as likely to have a positive attitude toward research (odds ratio [OR] = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.32-6.27) and be willing to conduct research (OR = 5.73, 95%CI = 3.5-9.37) than their private university counterparts. Very good or excellent academic performance was associated with a positive attitude (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.46-6.53), willingness (OR = 3.2, 95%CI = 1.7-6.03), and increased motivation (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.26-4.64) toward conducting research compared to respondents with average or lower academic performance. A lack of experience (63.5%), knowledge and skills (46%), and research training (51.7%) were the most common personal and systemic barriers to conducting research.

CONCLUSIONS

Most students reported having a positive attitude and strong motivation toward research. These findings revealed an opportunity for pharmacy policymakers and educators to utilize national strategy to improve pharmacy education and the profession.

Teaching Pharmacovigilance to Healthcare Students: Identifying Gaps and Opportunities for Improvement

The literature indicates that the limited pharmacovigilance knowledge demonstrated by healthcare professionals is the main reason for the underreporting of adverse drug reactions. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate pharmacy, dental and medical students' knowledge and attitudes to pharmacovigilance and pharmacovigilance education. The cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted at the University of Split School of Medicine in November 2020. In total, 350 students participated in the study. The results have shown that pharmacy students showed a significantly higher knowledge score compared to dental and medical students (P < 0.001). In total 92.2% of pharmacy, 21.8% of dental and 70.8% of medical students had knowledge of patients' involvement in adverse drug reactions, reporting (P < 0.001). Interestingly, only 44.3% of all students knew that adverse drug reactions could be reported using a mobile application. Moreover, significantly more pharmacy students (74.4%) were aware of the adverse drug reactions monitoring center in Croatia, with 47.5% of dental and 39.2% of medical students correctly identifying it (P < 0.001). The results showed that most students felt that pharmacovigilance was not adequately covered in curricula; therefore, there is a great need to increase the knowledge and awareness of pharmacovigilance among students aspiring to become future healthcare professionals, and improve their reporting practice in clinical future.

Assessment of a Pharmacovigilance Module: An Interventional Study on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Pharmacy Students

Background

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a pharmacovigilance module on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of pharmacy students and elucidate their feedback on the module.

Methodology

Bachelor of pharmacy students at Pokhara University, Nepal, were assessed for their baseline KAP on drug safety and related issues using a KAP questionnaire (Cronbach alpha 0.70) consisting of 25 questions. Students' baseline KAP was assessed and after that, they were grouped into either control (2^nd and 4^th year) or test (1^st and 3^rd year) groups. The later received the pharmacovigilance training in three 1-h sessions spread over 6 months at 0, 90, and 180 days; the sessions covered introduction to pharmacovigilance, theoretical aspects of pharmacovigilance, and adverse drug reaction reporting procedures. KAP scores and student feedback were analyzed at 5% significance level.

Results

A total of 124 students (control = 56 and test = 68) were studied. The median (interquartile ranges [IQRs]) of the baseline scores prior to grouping the students into control and test groups was 20 (18.25-21.00) for knowledge, 19.5 (18.00-21.00) for attitude/practice, and 39 (37.00-41.00) for the total score. Males (n = 81) had a slightly higher median score of 40 (37-42) than females (n = 43), who had a median score of 38 (36-41). The KAP score for the control group was 40 (38-42) at baseline, 42 (20-44) during first follow-up, 41.5 (40-44) during second follow-up, and 41 (39-44.5) during third follow-up. For the test group, upon intervention, the KAP scores improved from 39 (36.25-40.75) at baseline to 42 (39.50-44.00) at the 1^st follow-up, 43 (41-45) at the 2^nd follow-up, and 44 (42-45) at the 3^rd follow-up (P < 0.001). The median feedback score (IQR) was 86 (81.5-90.0).

Conclusions

Pharmacy students had good attitude/practice scores and relatively poor knowledge scores at baseline, which improved postintervention. Student feedback about the module was positive.

Pharmacovigilance in healthcare education: students' knowledge, attitude and perception: a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Medication safety and pharmacovigilance (PV) remains as an important discipline worldwide. However, there is a significant lack of knowledge of PV and adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among students in the healthcare field. Thus, this study is aimed to measure knowledge, attitude, and perceptions and compares it between healthcare students (i.e., medicine, dentistry, and nursing).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study involving 710 undergraduate healthcare students from different universities in Saudi Arabia was conducted. A validated structured pilot-tested questionnaire was administered to the participants to assess their knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards PV and ADRs reporting. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.

RESULTS

Overall, the study found that 60.8 and 40.0% of healthcare students correctly defined PV and ADRs respectively. Most students showed positive attitudes and perceptions towards PV and ADRs reporting. PV knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards PV were significantly higher among pharmacy students as compared to other healthcare students. Only 39% of healthcare students revealed that they have received any form of PV education and 49% of them indicated that PV is well covered in their school curriculum. Pharmacy students are more trained in their schools to report and have performed ADRs reporting in their school as compared to other healthcare students.

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacy students have better knowledge, attitude, and perception towards PV and ADR reporting in comparison to other healthcare students. The study clearly describes the need for integrating pharmacovigilance education in Saudi healthcare schools' curriculums to prepare them for real-world practices and workplaces.

Healthcare students' knowledge, attitude and perception of pharmacovigilance: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review is to evaluate the existing evidence about the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions (KAP) of healthcare students towards pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions reporting (ADRs).

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via OVID. This review restricted the search to studies published in English from inception until December 2019.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was healthcare students' knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of pharmacovigilance.

RESULTS

Of the 664 articles identified, twenty-nine studies were included in the review. Overall, healthcare students vary in their knowledge and attitude towards pharmacovigilance and ADRs reporting. There was inconsistency in measuring KAP between the studies and the main drawback in the literature is lacking validated KAP measures.

CONCLUSIONS

In summation, optimal KAP assessment can be achieved through developing a standard validated measure. Our future healthcare providers should have basics pharmacovigilance knowledge in order to rationally reporting ADRs and preventing serious health problems.

Analysis of spontaneous reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions for non-analgesic over-the-counter drugs from 2008 to 2017

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting practices by health care professionals remain poor. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are perceived as safe; however, they can also cause ADRs. The objective of this study was to analyze ADR reporting for OTC drugs in a 10-year period, in order to evaluate frequency of ADRs, population that ADRs most affect and reporters of ADRs of OTC drugs in Croatia.

METHODS

Spontaneously reported ADRs of non-analgesic OTC drugs, collected from January 2008 to December 2017 were analyzed. Data was obtained from Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices of Croatia (HALMED).

RESULTS

There were 547 ADRs of OTC drugs reported in total and an increase in number of reports through the years was observed. Pharmacists reported 45.4% of all ADRs, and were most frequent reporters (p < 0.001). In 2017 majority of reports, 62 (49.2%), were obtained from consumers. ADRs were most frequently observed in patients aged 70 years and older (15% of ADRs). Five percent of all reports were accidental exposures among children.

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacists most frequently reported ADRs of OTC drugs and consumers' awareness of ADR reporting has risen. Other health care professionals (e.g., nurses and dentists) must be offered proper education in order to improve reporting practice of ADRs. Health care professionals should address concerns about OTC drug safety in elderly and children.