Pharmacovigilance: Ensuring drug safety and patient wellbeing, as an elective in competency-based medical education curriculum

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Pharmacology, Gmers Medical College, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

2 Department of Pharmacology Pramukhswami Medical College Karamsad, Anand, Gujarat

10.22038/fmej.2025.89377.1663

Abstract

Background: The shift to competency-based medical education (CBME) has led to the introduction of targeted electives, such as pharmacovigilance, to enhance practical skills among medical students. This elective is vital for educating students on drug safety, therapeutic efficacy, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This study aimed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, practical skills, and their importance in promoting patient safety and rational drug use among phase III part 1 medical students as an elective.
Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India. A total of 22 students who have opted for pharmacovigilance as an elective were included in the study. Their knowledge (out of 10), attitude, completeness score (out of 10) of ADRs were reported and their feedback on course content, teachers' effectiveness and overall training were evaluated.
Results: The average multiple-choice question score was 7.8 out of 10. While 21 (95.5%) students believed that reporting ADRs is necessary and 17 (77.3%) thought it was mandatory, a total of 36 ADRs were identified with an average completeness score of 8.81 ± 0.56. Student feedback on the elective, assessed via a Likert scale, showed mean scores between 4.44 and 4.81, reflecting high satisfaction.
Conclusion: The elective posting effectively improves students' knowledge, attitudes and practical skills regarding the quality of ADR reporting in terms of completeness.

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References

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Future of Medical Education Journal
Volume 15, Issue 4
November 2025

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