Rare Diseases: Awareness Amongst Pharmacy Students in Karachi, Pakistan

  • Tanweer Alam Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, 4-B, SMCHS, Karachi – 74400, Pakistan
  • Asra Hameed Jinnah University for Women, Karachi
  • Safila Naveed Jinnah University for Women, Karachi
  • Neelam Sharif Jinnah University for Women, Karachi
Keywords: Rare diseases, degenerative, genetic, scientific knowledge, pharmacy student

Abstract

Rare diseases remain habitually chronic, degenerative, progressive, and often life-threatening. 80% of rare diseases have identified inherited origins. Further rare diseases are the consequence of infections (bacterial or viral), allergies and environmental causes, or stand worsening and proliferative. Rare diseases exist characterised by a broad diversity of disorders and symptoms that fluctuate not solitary from disease to disease, but as well from patient to patient suffering from the same disease. Relatively communal indicators can hide fundamental rare diseases, leading to misdiagnosis. Rare disease patients face common problems like delay or lack of access to correct diagnosis, Lack of quality information and scientific knowledge on the disease. Objectives: This study was premeditated to identify the perception of pharmacy students towards rare diseases. Study Design: It stayed cross sectional, qualitative study. Setting: Pharmacy final year students of different public and private sector universities of Karachi were included in the study. Period: Data was collected between January, 2016 to March,2016. Method: Appropriate and Significant information was collected using inquiry form with open-ended questions. 200 final year participants were incorporated in this survey. Results: Response rate of final year students was found (100%, n = 200). Students level of awareness about rare diseases was found (90%, n =181).Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that pharmacy students of final year in public and private sector universities of Pakistan are cognizant with particular basic knowledge of rare diseases, but it is a need of time to incorporate more contents of such aspects in program of study.

Author Biographies

Tanweer Alam, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, 4-B, SMCHS, Karachi – 74400, Pakistan

Central Drug Laboratory, 

Asra Hameed, Jinnah University for Women, Karachi

Faculty of Pharmacy

Safila Naveed, Jinnah University for Women, Karachi

Faculty of Pharmacy

Neelam Sharif, Jinnah University for Women, Karachi

Faculty of Pharmacy

Published
2016-06-19