Pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reporting system; awareness in Pakistan: pharmacy students and professionals approach and facts

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to assess the pharmacy students and graduate knowledge and awareness about pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reporting [ADR] system in Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives: This study was designed to identify the trends, perception and approaches of pharmacy students and graduate towards current scenarios of pharmacovigilance and ADR contextual to our setting. Study Design: It was cross sectional, qualitative study. Setting: Pharmacy final year students and fresh graduates of two public and two private sector universities were included in the study. Period: Data was collected between January to August, 2015

Method: Relevant information was collected using questionnaire with 18 open ended and 7 close ended questions. 400 final year participants and 150 fresh graduates were incorporated in this survey. SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the results and Percent, frequencies and mean scores were calculated for various outcomes

Results: Response rate of final year students and fresh graduates was found [97%, n = 388] and [88%, n= 132] respectively. Students level of awareness about pharmacovigilance was found [54%, n =216] in final year students while little higher rates were observed [78%, n=110] in graduates. Concept of pharmacovigilance gained through pharmacy curriculum was calculated 45% rated by final year students. The pharmacovigilance knowledge mean score was found to be 2.368.5 and 2.886.3 for final year students and fresh graduates respectively. 58% total respondents were aware with relationship between the drug and the ADR

Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that pharmacy students of final year in public and private sector universities of Pakistan are aware with some basic knowledge of ADRs and pharmacovigilance, but it is a need of time to incorporate more contents of such aspects in curriculum with some practical exposure that how to report ADRs

Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on methanolic seeds' extract of Dolichos biflorus

The Dolichos biflorus is a well known medicinal plant in folklore for its medicinal properties. In herbal medicine the seeds of it are mainly used as tonic, astringent, diuretic, and are also recommended in asthma, bronchitis, urinary discharges, hiccoughs, ozoena, heart trouble and other diseases of brain. The main purpose of this study is to explore and to provide experimental data on the traditional use of plant Dolichos biflorus. For this purpose we investigated the plant seed extract phytochemically and pharmacologically. Phytochemical analysis was performed on extract and powder form of the drug. Procedure use for evaluation were Identification of chemical constituent by color reaction, Fluorescence analysis of powder drug, pH [in powder and extract forms], loss on drying, Thin layer chromatography, Infrared spectroscopy, acid and saponification values. In pharmacological studies [diuretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities] were tested on the extract of plant seed. The tests were carried out over albino mice taking different concentration of seed extract. Seeds extract of Dolichos biflorus has exhibited mild analgesic activity, the results were [84.6 +/- 6.68] at dose 300mg/kg and [92.2 +/- 6.81] at dose 500mg/kg which were not much significant as compared to reference drug Aspirin [300mg/kg] having result [36.4 +/- 2.27]. While seed extract of Dolichos biflorus exhibited remarkable diuretic activity, the values at 300 mg/kg was [1.33 +/- 0.13] and at 500 mg/kg were [2.66 +/- 0.31] which are highly significant as compared to drug Lasix [20mg /kg] having result [2.38 +/- 0.23]. Anti-inflammatory effects of crude extract of Dolichos biflorus obtained at 0.06mg/kg and 01mg/kg were [26.6 +/- 2.96] and [36 +/- 1.67] respectively. While the value for aspirin as standard drug [300mg/kg] were [17.44 +/- 1.59].This study provides a platform for further investigation for the isolation of active principles responsible for biological activity