Trends on pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology

An opinion survey among pharmacology professors of some Colombian medical schools

Abstract

Aim: attention over the continuous education of the medical student, as well as the rise of pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology has become object of concern among us, which generates questions on whether the students are receiving proper instruction on these and other pharmacological issues from their instructors.

Objective: to determine trends in knowledge, attitudes and practices on the issues of pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology in the medical faculties of the country, specially from the professors of pharmacology.

Methods: survey send by letter to the professors of pharmacology at the Colombian medical faculties between June and November 2002.

Results: 35 reported surveys from 25 universities; 43 from Bogotá, Medellín and Bucaramanga. Professors' age was in range 25-65 years, 80% male, nearly half of them enrolled with the department of pharmacology at their faculties. 3 in 4 professors are physicians; 7 in 10 are specialists or masters in sciences. Average time from graduation and of teaching experience was 14, 5 and 10, 2 years, while the average number of teaching-hours and of students was 134 and 65. Objective knowledge about pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology was lower than subjective (agreement by chance was 0, 43 and 0, 51), with a poor kappa index; 8 or 9 out of 10 professors ask for a proper time to transmit the basic knowledge about these disciplines.

Conclusion: it is justified to give more attention to both disciplines in medical faculties and to generate possibilities for training and update in the chairs of pharmacology