A Cross-Sectional Study on Knowledge and Perceptions of Pharmacovigilance among Pharmacy Students of Selected Tertiary Institutions in Jordan

Purpose: To assess the perceptions and knowledge of pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting among Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students of selected tertiary institutions in Jordan.Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 434 pharmacy students from three different Jordanian universities was conducted from March - April 2014. During the study period, a validated structured questionnaire was administered to the participants to assess their knowledge and perceptions regarding pharmacovigilance and ADRs reporting process.Results: Majority of the students had insufficient awareness and lack of knowledge ofpharmacovigilance and ADRs reporting with a mean knowledge score of 4/10. PharmD students had better knowledge about pharmacovigilance and ADRs reporting system than the BPharm students (knowledge score of 5.4 versus 3.2, respectively; p < 0.001). Also, higher knowledge scores were recorded for public university and fifth-year students (p < 0.001). About two-thirds of the students expressed a positive attitude toward pharmacovigilance and ADRs issues and agreed that they would be willing to report ADRs during their clerkship programme.Conclusion: BPharm and PharmD students have insufficient knowledge of the concept ofpharmacovigilance and ADRs reporting. There is a need to incorporate pharmacovigilance into pharmacy curriculum in order to increase its awareness among pharmacy students as this will positively impact on their practice and enhance public health.Keywords: Pharmacovigilance, Adverse drug reactions reporting, Pharmacy students, Knowledge, Perception, Awareness, Attitud