Pharmacovigilance Knowledge among Patients at a Teaching Hospital in Lalitpur District, Nepal.
BACKGROUND
Consumer's knowledge and perception towards adverse drug reactions (ADR) can play an important role in ensuring a healthy lifestyle and proper use of medicines.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perception towards pharma covigilance in general and consumer pharmacovigilance in particular among out patients in a teaching hospital of Nepal.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional study using qualitative and quantitative methods was carried out from 1(st) May to 3 June 2013.


METHODS
Every fifth patient visiting the outpatient pharmacy was interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Gender, age, educational qualification, profession and ethnicity were noted. Twenty-three patients were interviewed.


RESULTS
There were 10 males and 13 females. The age of the respondents ranged from 11 to 50 years with a mean age of 27.8 (SD = 5.61) years. Seven (30.43%) respondents were students studying in different levels. Thirteen (56.52%) participants were from the Newar community. Majority of the patients (86.95%) knew ADRs may be caused by the medicines they consume and 18 (78.26%) were of the opinion that ADRs should be reported to doctors and other health care professionals including pharmacists.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge and perception were low in certain areas. There is a need for educational interventions for improving the awareness of patients and general public for ensuring medicine safety and promoting rational use of medicines.
Lecturer, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, KIST Medical College, Imadol, Nepal and PhD Research Scholar, Suresh Gyan Vihar University , Jaipur, India .
Nisha
N
Jha
Professor and Principal, Rajasthan Pharmacy College , Jaipur, India .
Devendra S
DS
Rathore
Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Xavier University School of Medicine , Santa Helenastraat, Aruba, Dutch, Caribbean .
P Ravi
PR
Shankar
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal and PhD Research Scholar, Suresh Gyan Vihar University , Jaipur, India .
Sudesh
S
Gyawali
Adverse drug reaction; Consumers; Medicine safety