Development of a videotape on adverse drug reactions

A pharmacy department's development and evaluation of a 20-minute videotape on adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting is described. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center Hospital, a 545-bed hospital, it was determined that inadequate education of staff was a major contributing factor to the failure of ADR-reporting programs. Since no videotape educational program on ADRs was available, the pharmacy department developed its own at a cost of approximately $400. The videotape demonstrates a variety of ADRs that occur in adult inpatients and provides instructions on how to report ADRs. The description of each ADR includes manifestations of the reaction, drugs associated with the reaction, and implications for the patient. During a three-month evaluation period on four patient-care units, nine ADRs were reported by nurses who were shown the videotape, while no ADRs were reported by nurses who were provided with only an oral presentation on ADR reporting. The videotape is now used hospitalwide, primarily with nurses and new pharmacy personnel. The videotape developed by the pharmacy department proved to be an effective means for demonstrating clinical manifestations of ADRs and explaining procedures for voluntary reporting.