IMPORTANCE OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE AND OUTCOMES OF CLINICAL PHARMACY SERVICES IN INDIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

BACKGROUND: The main aim was to collect information about the adverse effects of medicines in the tertiary care hospital, to create awareness of the need for Pharmacovigilance and how this contributes to protect patients from harm, to help patients as well as health professionals to make smart therapeutic decisions. Promoting Proper awareness about the clinical Pharmacy services is needed. In future we hope that these services will promote the better patient care in India. METHODOLOGY: Observational cross sectional study was conducted to assess the Adverse drug reactions, for a period of six months in a tertiary care hospital in south India. For promoting better medication use, ensuring that patients receive appropriate pharmacotherapy, thus minimizing the risk of unfavorable outcomes of pharmacotherapy. Adverse drug reaction forms were collected from all health care professionals i.e., (nurses, graduates, under graduates (UG,PG), general practioners and specialists. RESULTS:- In Our total number of 226 Adverse drug reactions were reported by health care providers. Most of ADRs occurred with oral drugs (56.1%), followed by IV routes (13.7%) and the most common affected organ system was Integumentry system (50.6%), followed by Gastro Enterology (46%), CNS(28%). The most serious drug reactions were due to hospitalization/prolonged (68.75%), followed by life threatening (31.25%) and majority of diverse drug reactions were due to Antibiotics (19.9%), Anti-psychotics (16.8%), Chemotherapy (9.73%).Level of participation of different health-care providers Most of the reports were generated by nurses (n= 100,44.24 % of all reports), followed by under graduate students (n= 60, 26.5% of all reports),General practioners and specialists (n= 20, 8.84%). CONCLUSION: In our study we observe that due to inadequate knowledge gaps with regard to ADR reporting still exist among nurses, under graduate medical practioners, General practioners and specialists especially in our country where the role of pharmacists is still in transition from being product oriented to patient oriented. The study concludes that involving clinical pharmacist services in patients care can significantly helps to identify, resolve and prevent the ADRS in the hospital thereby enhancing the patient’s safety.