Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of Health Professionals Towards Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and Pharmacovigilance in a Tertiary Hospital of North India

Pharmacovigilance is a method of quick detection andreporting, of adverse drug reactions and adverse drug eventsafter drug is in clinical use, thus preventing major drug events.Ignorance of physicians in developing world, about reportingadverse drug reaction is a big roadblock to pharmacovigilance.This cascades into many problems e.g.; increased lab to clinicinterval, increased premarketing expense for newer drugs. Inquickly changing genomes scenario it leads to almost fataltherapeutic failures. The huge population of India and lack ofappropriate post marketing surveillance contribute towardsdisasters due to adverse drug reactions. With evolution ofpharmaceutical industry, the Indian doctors have gained wideknowledge of drugs but the area of adverse drug reactions stillremains neglected. Indian Government launched NationalPharmacovigilance Programme in 2004 to inculcate the cultureof Adverse Drug Reaction reporting among Indian healthprofessionals. Medical Council of India has also madePharmacovigilance Programme mandatory in every medicalcollege. Still the picture is disheartening. Motivated to improveAdverse Drug Event reporting in Chattrapati Shivaji SubhartiHospital, the present survey was conducted to find Knowledge,Attitude, Practices (KAP) of physicians, surgeons & nursesregarding Adverse Drug Reaction reporting.  India is emerging as a major hub of pharmaceuticalindustry. The Indian pharmaceutical market has flourishedwith the introduction of new drugs with the help of clinicalresearch. But, in the realm of this tremendous boom ofpharmaceuticals, the hazards due to adverse drug reactionsappear to have been ignored. Indian companies are among theworld leaders in the production of generics and vaccines –now producing more than 20% of the world’s generics. SinceIndian firms will be marketing products globally they willhave to fulfill the regulatory requirements of respectivecountries as well, post marketing surveillance of new drugsbeing one. But unfortunately ADR reporting is very low inIndia. This ugly situation can be improved by implementingadequate laws such as insurance against adverse drugreactions for general public, inclusion of pharmacovigilanceunder corporate social responsibility, encouraging regulatoryauthorities to take educative and publicizing role and byidentifying each and every component of a drug including theexcipients and preservatives while assessing the root cause ofparticular adverse drug event

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Not AvailableThis is Vol IX, No. 2 issue of 'IASRI Statistical Newsletter' and covers the activities and allied information in respect of this Institute during the quarter April-June, 1983.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThis is Vol. X, No. 1 issue of 'IASRI Statistical Newsletter' and covers the activities and allied information in respect of this Institute during the quarter January-March, 1984. This Newsletter has been proving useful to the Agricultural Research Statisticians and other users.Not Availabl

New insights on low vitamin D plasma concentration as a potential cardiovascular risk factor

The role of Vitamin D hormone in human health and disease is still debated. Recently, growing attention has been paid to its putative role in cardiovascular system homeostasis with several studies that suggested a correlation between low vitamin D levels and increased cardiovascular risk. Several mechanisms are involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases: systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, arterial hypertension and insulin resistance. In the present paper, we have revised the current literature supporting a role for vitamin D in the development of these pathogenetic processes. Finally, we have evaluated the current evidence linking vitamin D to atherosclerosis and its natural consequence, cardiovascular diseases