Evaluation of health care professionals’ knowledge, attitudes, practices and barriers to pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reaction reporting: A cross-sectional multicentral study

Abstract

Background Healthcare professionals’ involvement and reporting of adverse drug reactions are essential for the success of a pharmacovigilance program. The aim of this study was to assess healthcare professionals (medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, midwives, and paramedics) current knowledge, attitude, practices, and barriers regarding pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions reporting in multicentral healthcare settings. Methods A cross-sectional face-to-face survey was conducted among currently working healthcare professionals in various hospitals in ten districts of Adana province, Türkiye from March to October 2022. A self-administered, pretested questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.894 for knowledge, attitudes and practices variables) was used for data collection. The questionnaire’s final draft included five sections (sociodemographic/general information, knowledge, attitude, practices, and barriers) with 58 questions. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS (version 25) using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and logistic regression. Results Of the total 435 distributed questionnaires, 412 completed the entire questionnaire, yielding a 94% response rate. The majority of healthcare professionals (60.4%; n = 249) had never received pharmacovigilance training. Among healthcare professionals 51.9% (n = 214), 71.1% (n = 293) and 92.5% (n = 381) had poor knowledge, positive attitudes and poor practices, respectively. Only 32.5% of healthcare professionals kept the record of an adverse drug reaction and only 13.1% reported adverse drug reactions. The profession (medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, midwives, and paramedics) of healthcare professionals and a lack of training were predictors of poor adverse drug reaction reporting (p < 0.05). A statistically significant difference in healthcare professionals and knowledge, attitude and practices scores was also observed (p < 0.05). The main barriers which were supposed to discourage adverse drug reactions reporting by the healthcare professionals were higher workload (63.8%) followed by thinking that a single adverse drug reaction report makes no impact (63.6%) and lack of a professional atmosphere (51.9%). Conclusion In the current study, most healthcare professionals had poor knowledge and practice, but they had a positive attitude toward pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions reporting. Barriers to under-reporting of adverse drug reactions were also highlighted. Periodic training programs, educational interventions, systematic follow-up of healthcare professionals by local healthcare authorities, interprofessional links between all healthcare professionals, and the implementation of mandatory reporting policies are critical for improving healthcare professionals knowledge, practices, patient safety and pharmacovigilance activities.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of vaccinators about expanded programs on immunization: a cross-sectional study

“…Inferential statistical (chi-squared test) analysis was performed to assess the correlation between the demographic variables and KAP questions. The overall percent score cutoff was computed using the modified Bloom's cutoff point criteria, which had already been used in previous studies ( 24 , 25 ). We chose nine questions for the knowledge part, with each accurate response (yes:1) receiving one point and the incorrect response (no:0) receiving zero points.…”

“…The vaccinators were defined as having “good knowledge” if their score was above 75% (ranging from 77.7% to 100% with 7–8 points), “moderate knowledge” if their score ranged from 55% to 74% (5–6 points), and “poor knowledge” if their score was < 55% (< 5 points). The total practice score was categorized as “good practice” if it ranged from 75% to 100% (9–12 points) or “poor practice” if it was < 75% (8 points) ( 24 , 25 ). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the differences in sociodemographic characteristics between training and non-training variables.…”

Pharmacovigilance knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacists in Zawia (Libya)

“…It is the science and practice of monitoring, detecting, assessing, and preventing adverse effects or any other drug-related problems associated with the use of pharmaceutical products. The primary objective of pharmacovigilance is to ensure the safe and effective use of medications by identifying and mitigating potential risks and promoting patient welfare [2]. Key components of pharmacovigilance include the collection and analysis of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and other safety data from various sources such as healthcare professionals, patients, regulatory authorities, and clinical trials.…”

“…Doctors, chemists, nurses, and other paramedics have a huge responsibility to report ADRs and strengthen PV systems. However, low levels of reporting are associated with spontaneous ADR schemes [2]. A thorough assessment of European Union research indicated a substantial significant issue observed among healthcare professionals (HCPs) is the under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), with a median rate of 94% under-reporting.…”

“…A thorough assessment of European Union research indicated a substantial significant issue observed among healthcare professionals (HCPs) is the under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), with a median rate of 94% under-reporting. [2]. Although pharmacovigilance programs have been shown to improve drug usage patterns, underreporting of ADRs is regarded as a key issue.…”