Clinical Pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics
Open Access

Abstract

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are ranked as one of the major cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Spontaneous reporting of ADRs has remained the cornerstone of pharmacovigilance and is important in maintaining patient safety. Therefore, we aimed to assess knowledge and attitude of the health professionals towards pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting. Methods: A face to face questionnaire was conducted with 90 community pharmacists, 98 nurses and 70 physicians in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who consented to participate in the study. Results: Of those that did respond, only 13% of the pharmacists, 2 % of the nurses and 20% of the physicians had knowledge about ?pharmacovigilance?. Respectively %32, 12 and 54 were reported an ADR within the recent year, but only 10% of the pharmacists and 4% of physicians stated that they sent an ADR report to the concerned organization. None of the nurses and physicians reported an ADR. The common reasons for not reporting was stated as lack of knowledge of where/how to report, lack of time, ADR reporting being not mandatory, belief that it was not their responsibility, hesitation about the clinical knowledge, refraining the legal liability. Conclusion: The results show that the health professionals in Northern Cyprus have insufficient knowledge about pharmacovigilance. Therefore, it seems there is an urgent need for a training program about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting.

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