Assessing Knowledge and Attitudes Healthcare Professionals Towards Adverse Drug Reaction of Reporting in Primary Healthcare Centers of AL-Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Adverse drug responses (ADRs), often known as drug-related adverse events, are adverse outcomes resulting from medications. Adverse drug reactions can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life and increase the burden on the healthcare system. As medications become more complex to treat a variety of conditions in older adults, adverse drug reactions will continue to be a serious public health concern. It is one of the main causes of illness and death in general.
Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of health care workers towards reporting adverse drug reactions and to explore potential areas for improvement in primary health care centers in Medina.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire on September 2022 in primary healthcare centers in Medina for two months. A self-administration questionnaire consist of two parts was distributed to the participants. The questionnaire was distributed to randomly selected professionals such as physicians, pharmacists and nurses. Of the 253 questionnaire a total of 220 professionals responded with a response rate of 86.9 %. Professionals categorize involved in study were (69) physicians, (58) pharmacists and (93) nurses. The data was analyzed using SPSS program.
Results: The results revealed a satisfactory level of knowledge regarding reporting of ADRs among healthcare workers with significant variation (p value ˂0.05), where the majority of participants agreed (104) (47.27) or strongly agreed (79) (35.9) that they are familiar with reports of adverse drug reaction and they can deal with them. It was also found that there is awareness of adverse effects of drugs and potential risks associated with herbal/traditional medicines. The majority of participants agreed (90) (40.09) or strongly agreed (106) (48.18) That the education and training for helps in reporting ADRs. Moreover, the majority of participants agreed (75) (34.09) or strongly agreed (118) (53.63) that reporting ADRs is part of their professional responsibility and obligation.
Furthermore, the results indicated a positive attitude towards reporting ADRs, as participants considered it their responsibility and recognized the benefits of professional training in this area. However, a preference for reporting only severe or life-threatening drug reactions was also noted.