Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Among Healthcare Workers in Selected Health Facilities in Abuja

Abubakar Mustapha Danraka ,Fatima Usman ,Godspower Onavbavba

doi:10.7176/jbah/11-8-05

Abstract

Background : In recent years, deaths due to adverse drug reaction (ADR) have been on the increase. In order to reduce the untoward effects and to prevent deaths, reporting of ADR remains the cornerstone in improving patients safe use of drugs. Aim : This study aimed at assessing knowledge, attitude and practice of adverse drug reaction reporting amongst Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, and Nurses in selected health facilities within Abuja, Nigeria. Methods : A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken using questionnaire to assess knowledge attitude, and practice of reporting adverse drug reaction among the categories of healthcare workers included in the study. Results : The findings from the study showed that 99% of the study participants had knowledge about the standard definition of pharmacovigilance, majority of the study participants (58.7%) indicated that ADR reporting should be made mandatory, more than two third of the study participants (67%) had encountered cases of ADR in their practice, only a quarter of the participants (26%) had reported cases of adverse drug reaction. Conclusion: This study revealed that almost of the study participants were aware of ADR, they had sound knowledge and positive attitude towards ADR reporting but unfortunately the practice of reporting was low among healthcare professionals included for this study. Keywords: Pharmacovigilance, Adverse Drug Reaction, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Yellow Form DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-8-05 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Highlights

In recent years, deaths due to adverse drug reaction (ADR) have been on the increase
It is a known fact that information regarding adverse drug reaction changes on a daily basis, the need for constant updating of the knowledge of healthcare workers in this area. It is against this backdrop that this study aimed at assessing, knowledge, attitude, and practice of ADR reporting amongst Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, and Nurses in selected health facilities within Abuja www.iiste.org
The questionnaire was adapted from a similar study that investigated the knowledge, attitude and practice of ADR reporting among physicians in Nigeria (Fadare, 2011)

Summary

Introduction

Deaths due to adverse drug reaction (ADR) have been on the increase. In order to reduce the untoward effects and to prevent deaths, reporting of ADR remains the cornerstone in improving patients safe use of drugs. The International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) defined ADR as a response to a drug that is noxious and unintended and occurs at doses normally used in human for prophylaxis, diagnosis or treatment of diseases, or for modification of physiological function (Abdel-Lateef and Abdel-Wahab, 2015). Adverse drug reaction is a global problem of major concern. It affects both children and adult with varying degrees, causing both morbidity and mortality. Adverse drug reaction reporting known as “pharmacovigilance”, is the science dedicated to the study of safety of drugs, generating knowledge on the harmful effects of drugs both at the individual and population level so as to achieve safer use of drugs (Ohaju and Iribhogbe, 2010)

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