Community pharmacists’ knowledge and perspectives of reporting adverse drug reactions in Australia: a cross‑sectional survey
Background: Under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by healthcare professionals is prevalent worldwide. Community pharmacists are the most frequently visited healthcare professional and are well placed to document ADRs as a part of their routine practice.
Objective: To measure community pharmacists’ knowledge and perspectives towards ADR reporting and their reporting practices.
Setting: Community pharmacists in the New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, Australia.
Method: A survey tool consisting of 28 items was developed, piloted and validated by a panel of expert reviewers. The fnal anonymised survey was distributed online to community pharmacists. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were used to measure the validity and reliability of the tool, respectively. Non-parametric statistical tests were used to analyse knowledge, perspectives and ADR reporting practices.
Main outcome measures: Knowledge, perceived importance, enablers and barriers to reporting ADRs.
Results: The survey tool showed acceptable validity and reliability. A total of 232 respondents completed the survey. The median knowledge score was 5 out of 10 (interquartile range, 2). Less than a third of respondents (31.0%) reported sufcient knowledge and training on ADR reporting. Only 35.3% of pharmacists reported at least one ADR in the previous 12 months. Non-reporting pharmacists were more likely to report lack of time as a barrier (P<0.001), conversely they were more likely to report if the practice was remunerated (P=0.007). Conclusion Underreporting of ADRs by community pharmacists is highly prevalent. Initiatives to educate and train them on ADR reporting and simplifying the reporting process may improve reporting practices.
History
Publication title
International Journal of Clinical PharmacyVolume
40Issue
4Pagination
878--889ISSN
2210-7703Department/School
School of Pharmacy and PharmacologyPublisher
Springer NetherlandsPlace of publication
NetherlandsRights statement
© The Author(s) 2018. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Repository Status
- Open