A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON ASSESSING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS TO ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS RELATED ASPECTS

The adverse drug reaction (ADR) programme in India, targeted all healthcare professionals to report the ADRs, however the response is very limited. The ADR reporting is much concentrated to hospital settings and the community pharmacies are unaware of this change. This study was conducted to assess the attitude, knowledge and behaviour of community pharmacists to ADR related aspects. A prospective study carried out over six months, self-prepared validated questionnaire was used. Awareness programme was conducted and a feedback questionnaire was provided. Improvement was seen after awareness programme. The response rate obtained was 93.7%.  Pharmacist realizes the benefit a patient can obtain if an ADR is reported and some had noticed ADR. Few pharmacists knew about Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) as a centre for reporting ADRs. Majority of pharmacists would direct the patients to the physician, in case of occurrences of ADR. According to 26.67% of the pharmacists in the study, busy schedule is considered as a vital factor for under-reporting an ADR.86.67% claimed that the application of information technology in pharmacies can indirectly improve patient health. In the current study, some pharmacists indicated that they did not have internet connection in their pharmacy; this may have partially contributed to the under-reporting of ADRs. Few pharmacists had recognised the importance of ADR reporting and the urgent need of making it mandatory, however the responsiveness was greater in abroad. Proper training need to be provided to the community pharmacist to get updated knowledge regarding the ADRs.