Pharmacist's Knowledge and Behaviors Toward Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions Reporting Process in Türkiye

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) increase patient-related morbidity and mortality. Additionally, it is an important public health problem associated with prolonged hospital stay and increasing economic burden. Pharmacovigilance is central to reducing ADRs, so the development and growth of this science is critical to effective and safe clinical practice. The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge and behaviors of pharmacists toward pharmacovigilance and spontaneous ADR notifications in Türkiye.

The online questionnaire method was used with the pharmacists, whose prior consent was obtained to participate in the study. The survey was uploaded onto Google form. The survey link was distributed electronically to the eligible participants via social media channels. The knowledge of pharmacovigilance practice, ADR reporting compliance rates, reasons for not reporting ADR, and perceptions of the Turkish pharmacists on pharmacovigilance practice were evaluated.

Four hundred six pharmacists (45%) agreed to participate in the study, 81.8% of whose correctly defined correctly defined the term pharmacovigilance. 91.6% knew the name of the Turkish Pharmacovigilance Center. Clinical and hospital pharmacists were found to have a more adequate knowledge than community pharmacists (p<0.05). 18.7% of pharmacists stated that they had previously reported ADRs. Most of the pharmacists stated that the most important reason for not reporting ADRs was not knowing how and where spontaneous reporting should be done, a single spontaneous reporting would not make a difference and the report would generate extra work.

These results showed that Turkish pharmacists had adequate knowledge about the concept of pharmacovigilance and the spontaneous ADR reporting system. However, they had little experience in reporting. Training programs should continue to increase the knowledge and reporting experience of pharmacists about the reporting process and requirements.