Impact of educational interventions on knowledge, attitude, practice toward pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reaction reporting among healthcare professionals at the University Teaching Hospital, Rwanda

   INTRODUCTION: Pharmacovigilance (PV) is crucial in healthcare for detecting, understanding, and preventing adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Despite its significance, there persists underreporting of ADRs due to gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among healthcare professionals (HCPs), leading to global impacts on patient safety and healthcare costs. This study aimed to enhance the KAP regarding PV and ADR reporting among HCPs at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), Rwanda. The study's focus was on implementing an educational intervention (EI) to address these gaps and assess its impact on HCPs' confidence in ADR monitoring and reporting, alongside the actual number of reported drug adverse events in the hospital post-EI.  METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at CHUK, Rwanda, using a one-group pretest-posttest design. The study involved 217 HCPs, assessing their KAP on PV and ADR reporting before and after an EI. A self-administered questionnaire and data on reported ADRs were used for the evaluation of the EI.  RESULTS: The EI significantly enhanced HCPs' KAP regarding PV and ADR reporting. The proportion of participants understanding the purpose of PV increased from 61.9% to 78.8% (p=0.001), while awareness of the national PV in Rwanda surged from 38.1% to 96.6% (p<0.001). Attitudes among HCPs notably improved, particularly in identifying events as serious, escalating from 59.8% to 79.5% (p < 0.001). The observed improvement in practice was solely in the availability of ADR reporting forms, rising from 58.7% to 82.2% (p < 0.001). However, no significant changes were observed in certain KAP aspects. Participants exhibited increased confidence in monitoring and reporting ADRs post-intervention. Furthermore, a significant increase in reported drug adverse events to the quality assurance office was observed (p<0.001).  CONCLUSION: The study underscores the effectiveness of EI in enhancing HCPs' KAP concerning PV and ADR reporting. While improvements were evident, sustaining education initiatives remain critical for optimal ADR reporting and patient safety.