Pharmacy (Dec 2024)

Empowering Patient Safety: Assessment of Adverse Drug Reaction Knowledge and Practice Among Pharmacy Professionals

  • Josipa Bukić,
  • Dario Leskur,
  • Toni Durdov,
  • Joško Božić,
  • Darko Modun,
  • Ana Šešelja Perišin,
  • Daniela Ančić,
  • Martina Šepetavc,
  • Ante Mihanović,
  • Doris Rušić

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13010001
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
p. 1

Abstract

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Despite technological advancements, healthcare professionals must actively prioritize patient safety. Reporting adverse drug reactions is a critical aspect of this responsibility, and the most accessible healthcare providers, community pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians play a key role. Therefore, this study assessed their knowledge and practices regarding adverse drug reaction reporting in Croatia. A total of 180 participants were included. Pharmacists demonstrated significantly better knowledge than technicians (94.78 vs. 73.97, p = 0.024). Chronic medication users also showed greater understanding compared to non-users (104.96 vs. 85.39, p = 0.021). Knowledge improved with the number of adverse drug reactions reported, and most participants (72.78%) had reported adverse drug reactions. Pharmacists were 83.60% more likely to report adverse drug reactions than technicians (p < 0.001). These findings reveal a gap in pharmacy technicians’ integration into pharmacovigilance, underscoring a need to strengthen their role in adverse drug reaction reporting and patient safety.

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