title: An educational intervention's effect on healthcare professionals' attitudes towards pharmacovigilance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pharmacovigilance concerns the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problems. Consumer pharmacovigilance is the involvement of consumers in adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting. Assessing healthcare professionals' (HCPs) knowledge of and attitude towards pharmacovigilance and consumer pharmacovigilance is integral to strengthening adverse drug reaction reporting systems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study knowledge of and attitude towards pharmacovigilance and consumer pharmacovigilance among HCPs from KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal, and to plan an appropriate educational intervention to address deficiencies noted.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted from February 2013 to December 2013 at KIST Medical College using a self-administered, pretested, structured questionnaire. The maximum possible scores for knowledge, attitude, and total were 100, 95, and 195, respectively. Baseline knowledge and attitude were studied. Two months after the questionnaire, an intervention that used a combination of methods about pharmacovigilance and consumer pharmacovigilance was undertaken. Knowledge and attitudes were studied immediately after the intervention. Scores before and after the intervention were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 105 HCPs participated. The median (interquartile range) knowledge, attitude, and total scores before the intervention were 56 (7), 72 (9), and 127 (16), respectively. After the intervention the scores increased significantly to 72 (8), 75 (11.5), and 146 (16.5) (p<0.001), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention was effective in improving HCPs' knowledge of and attitude towards pharmacovigilance and consumer pharmacovigilance. More studies on this topic among HCPs at other institutions and in the community are required.
authors: KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal.
authors: Nisha
authors: N
authors: Jha
authors: L.R. Institute of Pharmacy, Solan, India.
authors: Devendra Singh
authors: DS
authors: Rathore
authors: Xavier University, School of Medicine, Oranjestad, Aruba.
authors: P Ravi
authors: PR
authors: Shankar
authors: Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal.
authors: Sudesh
authors: S
authors: Gyawali
authors: University of Aden, Aden,Yemen.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Alshakka
authors: Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Patan, Nepal.
authors: Shital
authors: S
authors: Bhandary
keywords: Attitude; Nepal; consumer pharmacovigilance; healthcare professionals; pharmacovigilance
references: PLoS One. 2009;4(2):e4439
references: 19209224
references: Int J Risk Saf Med. 2013 Jan 1;25(1):1-16
references: 23442293
references: Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2008 Aug;64(8):743-52
references: 18523760
references: J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004 Feb;29(1):31-5
references: 14748895
references: Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2009 Jan;65(1):43-6
references: 18825377
references: BMC Clin Pharmacol. 2009 Aug 11;9:14
references: 19671176
references: Indian J Med Sci. 2012 Mar-Apr;66(3-4):55-61
references: 23603621
references: Drug Saf. 2009;32(1):19-31
references: 19132802
references: J Clin Diagn Res. 2013 Oct;7(10):2181-5
references: 24298470
references: Stud Fam Plann. 1973 Feb;4(2):42-7
references: 4691025
references: Drug Saf. 2006;29(5):385-96
references: 16689555
references: Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Feb;69(2):237-44
references: 22706618
references: Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1992 Nov;34(5):421-6
references: 1467137
references: Pharm Pract (Granada). 2010 Jul;8(3):201-7
references: 25126141
references: Australas Med J. 2014 Apr 30;7(4):191-5
references: 24817914
references: Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2007 Oct-Dec;5(4):504-10
references: 18604084
references: Chin Med J (Engl). 2004 Jun;117(6):856-61
references: 15198887
references: South Med Rev. 2009 Apr;2(1):7-10
references: 23093871
references: Natl Med J India. 2002 Jan-Feb;15(1):24-6
references: 11855588
references: Pharm Pract (Granada). 2011 Oct;9(4):228-35
references: 24198861
references: Curr Drug Saf. 2007 Jan;2(1):79-87
references: 18690953
references: Ann Pharmacother. 2000 Jun;34(6):710-5
references: 10860130