Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction among health professionals in Ghana
Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Archives of Public Health
Abstract
Background: Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADR) is an effective means of ensuring
postmarketing surveillance of drugs, and health professionals play a cardinal role through voluntary reporting of
ADR. However, the pharmacovigilance system in Ghana is plagued with under-reporting issues, which is of public
health concern.
Method: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study involving 268 health professionals at Kpone-Katamanso
District was carried out. Data on spontaneous reporting of ADR, demographics of participants, knowledge, and
attitudes of professionals towards reporting and factors that may influence ADR reporting were collected. Logistic
regression models were used to examine the association of the independent variables with spontaneous reporting
of ADR.
Result: Overall, 77.6% (208) of the 268 respondents had observed ADR; however, only 17.3% of the respondents
had ever reported an ADR to the Ghana FDA. Health professionals who had average knowledge on spontaneous
reporting of ADR were 51.9%, while 30.3% had good knowledge of spontaneous reporting of ADR. After
adjustment on potential confounding variables (Knowledge, Feedback from FDA, Uncertainty about cause of ADR,
Severity of ADR), Age (AOR = 2.26, 95%CI = 1.25–4.10), Fear of Legal Consequences (AOR = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.41–0.51),
Time Constraint (AOR = 0.3, 95%CI = 0.10–0.91), Pharmacovigilance training (AOR = 18.78, 95%CI = 5.46–64.59) and
Unavailability of Reporting form (AOR = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.09–0.88) were found to be significantly associated
spontaneous reporting of ADR.
Conclusion: The proportion of health professionals in the Kpone- Katamanso District who spontaneously reported
observed ADR was low though they had average knowledge about ADR reporting. This underscores the need for a
policy to be implemented that makes spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction mandatory for health
professionals.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Adverse drug reaction, Reporting, Health professionals, Ghana