Abstract

The present study was aimed to train the community pharmacists in pharmacovigilance and implement adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting program in their practice. Continuing pharmacy education programs about adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting were conducted periodically to the community pharmacists both in the study centre and respective pharmacies and their knowledge, attitude, practice were assessed both prior and post education program through a self-administered questionnaire. The participants were followed-up after 6 months to assess the changes if any in their practice. Pharmacists’ awareness about the concept of adverse drug reaction reporting, which form to use for reporting adverse drug reactions, how and where to report adverse drug reactions have significantly increased (p<0.05) to 100 % in the post continuing pharmacy education survey from 84, 45, 51 and 36 % during pre continuing pharmacy education survey, respectively. The knowledge about all the stakeholders of health such as doctors, pharmacists, nurses and patients to report adverse drug reactions also increased from 31 to 100 % (p<0.05) from pre continuing pharmacy education to post test. In the post continuing pharmacy education survey, 100 % of the respondents agreed that reporting adverse drug reactions is necessary. Majority of respondents (72.7 %) strongly agreed that adverse drug reactions reporting is a part of professional role. In the repeat survey conducted after 6 months, 11 % of respondents reported that they have a system of monitoring and reporting adverse drug reactions in their pharmacies in comparison to 0 % at the baseline, which was prior to continuing pharmacy education program and adverse drug reactions from 25 patients were reported to pharmacovigilance program of India by these pharmacists through the investigators of this study. The continuing pharmacy education program resulted in improvement of knowledge, attitude and practice of monitoring and reporting adverse drug reaction among community pharmacists as well as implementation of adverse drug reaction monitoring services in selected community pharmacies in the study region.