A web-based cross-sectional research on the knowledge, awareness, attitude, and behavior of Indian homoeopathic physicians about pharmacovigilance in homoeopathy

Abstract

Background: Pharmacovigilance refers to the study and practice of identifying, evaluating, comprehending, and avoiding medication-related issues, including adverse effects. If we want accurate data on the safety of Ayurvedic, Yoga, Naturopathic, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathic medications, we need to study this topic. The purpose of this research was to examine how homoeopathic doctors felt about the Pv programme in terms of their knowledge, awareness, attitude, and practice (KAAP). Approach: Over the course of two months, 274 homoeopathic practitioners in India participated in an online cross-sectional survey. After consulting with three industry professionals, the research team created a questionnaire and shared it across various social media accounts using a randomly generated link. Through an online portal, the data collecting format was communicated to the interested participants who gave their permission to the research. Four domains were used to get the data: KAAP. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the subgroup analysis was done using independent t-tests. Findings: A total of 265 homoeopathic practitioners (96.7% response rate) agreed to fill out the questionnaire after being contacted with the request. When asked about their familiarity with the software, the majority of research participants scored poorly. Postgraduates and those with previous Pv training showed statistically significant differences. Participants had a generally positive outlook on the program's acceptability, although they were less likely to notice and report adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in homoeopathy due to a lack of knowledge. Despite homoeopathic practitioners' positive attitudes toward the Pv programme, there is still a lack of adequate hands-on training for identifying and reporting adverse drug reactions in homoeopathy.