jrnls.org logo
Submit

BROWSE ALL JOURNALS

Type 2 letters to search all 19 journals

SEE ALL 19 JOURNALS
Journal of Young PharmacistsNOW IN
Back

JYP · Lens · Under-reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions among Healthcare Professionals in Brazil: An Estimate Based on National Pharmacovigilance Survey

PDF

Article · Volume 12, Issue 4 · pp. 360–365

Under-reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions among Healthcare Professionals in Brazil: An Estimate Based on National Pharmacovigilance Survey

José Romério Rabelo Melo1,2, Elisabeth Carmen Duarte3, Karla de Araújo Ferreira1,4, Yannie Silveira Gonçalves1,4, Marcelo Vogler de Moraes1,4, Paulo Sergio Dourado Arrais5

  1. 1Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa)/ Brasília-DF, BRAZIL.
  2. 2Graduate Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences - Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza-CE, BRAZIL.
  3. 3Epidemiology at Tropical Medicine Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia. Brasilia-DF, BRAZIL.
  4. 4National Medicines Monitoring Center (CNMM) / Brazilian Health Regulatory Anvisa), Brasília-DF, BRAZIL.
  5. 5Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing, Federal University of Ceará. Fortaleza-CE, BRAZIL.

Abstract

Background: Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) is a public health problem with an impact on health care costs. Spontaneous reporting comprises the primary method for detection ADR’s. However, high levels under-reporting represents a barrier in pharmacovigilance.Objectives: The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of under-reporting ADR professionals in Brazil and to analyze the factors associated with under-reporting.Methods: Used a cross-sectional study based on an online survey for healthcare professionals conducted by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa). Unconditional logistic regression was performed and adjusted odd ratios (OR) were estimated.Results: In total 789 questionnaires were analyzed and based on the criteria, 67.5% of professionals were considered under-reporters. The main reason for under-reporting was the lack of access to vital data for notification (33.8%). 52.7% of the participants stated that the existence of a simpler system to notify motivated its use. It was found that residents in the Southern region of Brazil have 2.3 times the chance of under-reporting an ADR than those in the Southeast region (OR = 2.3; IC 95%:1.3-4.2). Having advanced knowledge in pharmacovigilance (OR=0.5; IC 95%: 0.4-0.7) and performing notification even without the causal certainty of the event (OR = 0.5; IC 95%:0.3-0.7) were protective factors for under-reporting, while not applicating knowledge routinely was considered a risk factor for under-reporting (OR = 4.4; IC 95%:2.1-9.2).Conclusion: A high rate of professionals considered as under-reporters of ADRs in Brazil has been detected. This study will make an important contribution to health managers and drug regulators for strengthen the national pharmacovigilance system.

Keywords: Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Pharmacovigilance; Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; Health Care Coordination and Monitoring; Health Education

The full text of this article is available as a PDF. Open the PDF.