Abstract

Background: Pharmacovigilance has constantly gained importance in last 15 years, relating to absolute amount of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and to the fact that several hospital admissions are due to ADRs. The success of Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PVPI) depends on the active involvement of health-care professionals such as doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists, particularly in the private sector. Aims and
Objective: To assess the awareness and perception of pharmacovigilance among private practitioners in Tumkur, Southern India.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among doctors working in private hospitals/clinics in Tumkur, Southern India, using a validated questionnaire suitable for assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance and reporting of ADRs was designed and distributed to the private practitioners.
Results: Out of 82 private practitioners who were handed the questionnaire, 68 returned the filled questionnaire. 88.2% believed that reporting an ADR is a professional obligation and 85.3% thought reporting ADR should be made mandatory, whereas 91.2% believed that reporting ADRs will increase the patient’s safety. 79.4% of the private practitioners had seen an ADR reporting form, 64.7% knew who to report; 67.6% had difficulty in reporting an ADR, and only 13.2% had ever reported an ADR. Conclusion: The private practitioners had better knowledge and also attitude about pharmacovigilance. However, they faced difficulty while reporting an ADR and only very few of the private practitioners had ever reported an ADR.