Awareness and Perception of National Pharmacovigilance Center among Lebanese Medical Staff

Abstract

Background: The safety of patients and the safe use of medicines are high requisitions in the modern world, this emerged the practice and science of pharmacovigilance. This study evaluates the opinions and the perceptions about the importance and the need of national Pharmacovigilance center among Lebanese medical staff. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried to assess the perception of the healthcare professionals (doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and dentists) working in hospitals, private clinics and community pharmacies regarding the national pharmacovigilance center. Results: Results showed a 91.27% response rate. Only 46.2% of healthcare providers were aware of the pharmacovigilance term. 69.23% of them gave correct response regarding the definition of pharmacovigilance and 39.90% of the participants knew the most important purpose of pharmacovigilance. Among the participants, 87.6% have experienced ADRs in their practice, but only 16.3% have ever reported ADRs. 12.4% of the healthcare workers have been trained for reporting adverse reactions, but, 91.6% healthcare professionals agreed that ADR reporting is necessary and 89% considered that pharmacovigilance should be taught in details to healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Pharmacovigilance is being taught to some extent in theory, but the knowledge on the practical approach is lacking. Today, the need for an efficient pharmacovigilance system is necessary more than ever, to ensure the safe use of medicines. An urgent culture of learning about pharmacovigilance taken at the national level should be started earlier.