Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pharmacovigilance among the Interns in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India-A Questionnaire Based Study

Background: The use of drugs and occurrence of its ADRs go hand in hand. Spontaneous reporting of ADRs is an effective method and needs to be encouraged. Objective: The study was planned to know the perception of interns towards pharmacovigilance and to make them aware of the importance of ADR reporting. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional observational questionnaire based study conducted on 100 interns to gather information about the knowledge of Pharmacovigilance, attitude towards reporting and factors in practice which could act as a deterrent to the reporting of ADRs. Results: Out of the 100 interns, 90 responded. 50 % participants knew the purpose of PV. 67% agreed that it should be mandatory. 59% and 67% said that medical students and nurses have a role to play in PV. Half of the interns had seen an ADR, only 42% knew how and where to report. Very few (9%) were aware of what happens to the information submitted by them. Conclusion: There is a huge gap between knowledge of ADR reporting and pharmacovigilance and the practical reporting of ADRs. Our health care providers need to be well equipped to detect, manage, report ADRs. For this, educational intervention, regular training programmes are the need of the hour to create awareness and take care of the factors responsible for under reporting. Pharmacovigilance programme needs to be strengthened by increasing the rate of ADR reporting by active participation of health care providers.