Factors Influencing Awareness of Drug Store Personnel about Pharmacovigilance
Hirra Soomro
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Mirza Tasawer Baig *
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Sadaf Ibrahim
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Syed Nudrat Nawaid Shah
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Samina Sheikh
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Syed Wajid Shah
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Ambreen Huma
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Aisha Jabeen
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Muhammad Kashif
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Uzma Shahid
Surecell Australian Stem Cell Clinic, Karachi, Pakistan.
Sohera Soomro
Jinnah Post Graduate Centre, Karachi, Pakistan.
Muhammad Umer Soomro
Jinnah Post Graduate Centre, Karachi, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Pharmacovigilance is an essential process when dealing with the medicines. It is one of the basic roles of community pharmacist. This role is not found in practice. Due to lacking this role, monitoring of adverse drug reactions and awareness to report them is missed in the society. However, no significant data has been published to exhibit the role of community pharmacists in Pharmacovigilance. This study was aimed to help in stowing the pharmacist role, in community Pharmacovigilance of Pakistan, to give awareness not only to community pharmacists but to regulatory authorities to establish policies regarding ADRs. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a pre-validated questionnaire. This study was conducted in 16 Districts of Sindh Province of Pakistan. 368 pharmacies/ medical stores responded to the self administered questionnaire. The results showed dependence of Awareness to the Pharmacovigilance upon Professional Status, Education of Participants and Experience of study population in pharmacies/ medical stores.
Keywords: Pharmacovigilance, community pharmacy, regulatory, ADRs, public health.