Knowledge and practice of Iraqi community pharmacists on national adverse events reporting and review of the constraints of drug safety reporting
Abstract
Introduction: Pharmacovigilance aids in protecting patients from adverse drug effects. Community pharmacists can play a significant role in the reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) due to their advantageous position in terms of direct contact with patients and medical specialization,
Objectives: To determine the pharmacists' awareness in Baghdad and attitude regarding the national adverse drug reactions (ADRs) system activities in Iraq and their knowledge about the spontaneous reporting system
Methods: In this study, a validated self-administered cross-sectional questionnaire was used. During the study period, the questionnaire was distributed to 278 community pharmacists who worked in Baghdad for 4 months.
Results: Out of 278 pharmacists who participated in this questionnaire, 250 pharmacists completed the questionnaire. About 57% of them were female with less than 10 years experience in retail pharmacies. The study showed that about 76% already had information about the term pharmacovigilance and the existence of a pharmacovigilance center in Iraq, but about half of them showed a low level of knowledge about the way of filling, reporting, and sending ADR reports. Furthermore, About 90% of them prefer new ways of filling the ADR reports like using special mobile apps, special QR codes, and more simplified adverse event forms.
Conclusion: The study revealed that the community pharmacists in Baghdad have a positive view on ADR and pharmacovigilance, but several barriers were revealed that could impede the Iraqi pharmacovigilance center activities regarding spontaneous reporting of health care professionals.
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