Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting among the General Public in Lithuania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Despite the fact that for over ten years, Lithuanian consumers have been able to report adverse drug reactions (ADR) directly to the competent authority, reporting rates remain low. A comprehensive understanding of consumer perceptions and experiences regarding ADRs is needed to ascertain further factors impacting their engagement in ADR reporting. This study aimed to assess consumer knowledge of, attitude toward, and practice of reporting ADRs. Methods: A questionnaire-guided cross-sectional survey among 404 consumers between October 2021 and June 2022 was conducted. The semi-structured questionnaire comprised open-ended and closed-ended questions to explore the sociodemographic characteristics and general knowledge of ADRs and pharmacovigilance. Other question items evaluated attitudes toward ADR reporting and ADR reporting practice. The data were summarised using descriptive statistics, while the chi-square test was used to assess categorical variables at p < 0.05. The overall percent score in the knowledge and attitude domains was divided into groups of “poor”, “moderate”, and “good” knowledge, as well as “positive” and “negative” attitudes. Results: While having a generally poor understanding, this study demonstrates that Lithuanian consumers have a favourable attitude toward pharmacovigilance, particularly regarding issues involving the requirement for reporting. The data also revealed the justifications for reporting and not reporting ADRs. Conclusions: The current study provided the first understanding of consumer awareness and ADR reporting intentions, which can help to develop educational campaigns and interventions addressing pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting.

Pharmacovigilance Practices by Healthcare Providers in Oncology: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The literature does not uniformly present a positive outlook on the awareness and understanding of PV practices [ 36 , 37 ]. For instance, a comprehensive study conducted in Nepal, focusing on HCPs and their knowledge and perceptions of ADR reporting and PV, unveiled that a notable proportion of the respondents, with a majority being female, exhibited a lack of awareness about PV [ 36 ].…”

“…This gap in understanding PV practices and the importance of ADR reporting is not confined to healthcare professionals but extends to the general public as well [ 37 , 39 ]. In a separate cross-sectional study conducted in Lithuania, the objective was to assess the general public’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning ADR reporting [ 37 ].…”

“…This gap in understanding PV practices and the importance of ADR reporting is not confined to healthcare professionals but extends to the general public as well [ 37 , 39 ]. In a separate cross-sectional study conducted in Lithuania, the objective was to assess the general public’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning ADR reporting [ 37 ]. The findings from this study indicated that, despite the Lithuanian public’s limited understanding of ADRs and PV, there existed a broadly positive attitude towards the significance of reporting ADRs [ 37 ].…”

“…In a separate cross-sectional study conducted in Lithuania, the objective was to assess the general public’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning ADR reporting [ 37 ]. The findings from this study indicated that, despite the Lithuanian public’s limited understanding of ADRs and PV, there existed a broadly positive attitude towards the significance of reporting ADRs [ 37 ]. Such findings have been confirmed by several other reports globally [ 39 , 40 ].…”