Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Science Students/Researcher on Status of Usage of Animals, 3R’s Strategy and their Alternatives for Pharmacological Studies: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Introduction: The number of students in health science education is increasing day by day due to mushrooming of the private institutes. Hence, there is an increase in number of animals that have been used for animal experimentation irrespective of any known significance. Aim: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of health science students/researchers on status of usage of animals, 3R’s strategy (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement) and their alternatives for pharmacological studies. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional paper-based survey that was conducted between June 2019 to September 2019 using a semi-structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the students. The study was conducted at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot and ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India. The questionnaire consisted of three domains: Socio-demographic and professional characteristics, Knowledge (10 questions), attitude and practice of participants (9 questions). Out of 440 questionnaires distributed to the participants, 310 filled the survey (response rate was 70.5%) and were included in the study. The study participants comprised of MBBS interns, Junior residents/MD students, B pharmacy students, M pharmacy students and the PhD scholars. Results: Majority of the students belonged to the age group of 19-23 years. It was observed that 79.6% (n=247) students didn’t know about the 3Rs (i.e., Reduction, Refinement, Replacement) Strategy. A 39.6% (n=123) respondents knew about the various alternatives to animal experimentation. Majority of the students 90.9% (n=282) believed that animal experiments are useful for medical research and human benefit. Conclusion: There was an almost complete lack of knowledge among participants regarding alternative animal models and 3R’s strategy. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate education intervention about alternative animal use in their curriculum.