Detection of Adverse Drug Reactions with the Use of a Simple Questionnaire

Abstract

In order to detect adverse events in patients at pharmacies, a questionnaire was developed to evaluate adverse drug reactions that may come from the use of pharmaceuticals. The questionnaire enabled pharmacists to assume possible adverse drug reactions while they dispense a prescription but was designed not to make patients sensitive. An investigation method was developed to detect adverse drug reactions that may be attributable to drug treatment by leading patient natural complaints while pharmacists provide drug treatment guidance to patients. This investigation was conducted at six pharmacies. As a result, 26.6% of the adverse drug reactions that can be associated with the question items ticked by at least five patients who had received the same drug were not indicated in the precautionary statements of the drugs. This suggests that this investigation may possibly contribute to detection of unknown adverse drug reactions. Furthermore, some of the patients who ticked question items related to prodromal symptoms of serious adverse drug reactions had received drug therapies that were known to be associated with those adverse drug reactions. This also suggests that the investigation may possibly contribute to detection of serious adverse drug reactions. It was considered to be more effective to focus on detection of serious adverse drug reactions with the use of the questionnaire in the future, which is more important than safety precautions. The accuracy in judging adverse drug reactions can be enhanced by asking patients with chronic diseases to respond to the questionnaire every time a prescription is dispensed.