Knowledge and application of pharmacovigilance among pharmacists in Osijek and the Zagreb area

Otkrivanje, razumijevanje, praćenje i prevencija nuspojava lijekova relevantne su teme u području biologije zbog velikog doprinosa zaštiti zdravlja pacijenata. Zdravstveni djelatnici, posebice liječnici i ljekarnici, najčešće imaju priliku uočiti, a zatim prijaviti nuspojavu. Svako je prijavljivanje nuspojave važno i može pridonijeti sigurnijoj primjeni lijekova. Cilj ovog istraživanja je ispitati stavove, znanja i praksu ljekarnika prema prijavljivanju nuspojava lijekova te utvrditi postoje li razlike u znanjima, praksi i stavovima ljekarnika o farmakovigilanciji i prijavljivanju nuspojava na zagrebačkom i osječkom području. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 200 ljekarnika na zagrebačkom i osječko-baranjskom području u razdoblju od siječnja do svibnja 2023. godine. U analizi dobivenih podataka korišten je hi-kvadrat test i deskriptivna statistika. Nije utvrđena statistički značajna razlika u stavovima i znanjima ljekarnika o farmakovigilanciji između ljekarnika na zagrebačkom i osječkom području. Utvrđena je statistički značajna razlika u učestalosti prijave nuspojava kod respiratornih agenata i lijekova za štitnjaču među ljekarnicima na dvama područjima. Velika većina sudionika istraživanja ima dobra znanja i pozitivne stavove prema farmakovigilanciji, ali praksa prema prijavljivanju sumnji na nuspojave lijekova među ljekarnicima nije zadovoljavajuća. Ovaj rad ukazuje na potrebu poticaja ljekarnika na prijavljivanje sumnji na nuspojave lijekovaDiscovery, understanding, monitoring and prevention of drug side effects are relevant topics in the field of biology due to their great contribution to the protection of patient health. Health professionals, especially doctors and pharmacists, most often have the opportunity to notice and then report a side effect. Any reporting of side effects is important and can contribute to the safer use of medicines. The aim of this research was to examine the attitudes, knowledge and practice of pharmacists regarding the reporting of adverse drug reactions and to determine whether there are differences in the knowledge, practice and attitudes of pharmacists regarding pharmacovigilance and the reporting of adverse reactions in the Zagreb and Osijek-Baranja County. The research was conducted on a sample of 200 pharmacists in the Zagreb and Osijek area in the period from January to May 2023. The chi-square test and descriptive statistics are used in the analysis of obtained data. No statistically significant difference was found in the attitudes and knowledge of pharmacists about pharmacovigilance between pharmacists in the Zagreb and Osijek areas. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of reporting side effects for respiratory agents and thyroid medications among pharmacists in the two areas. The vast majority of participants have good knowledge and positive attitudes toward pharmacovigilance, but the practice of reporting suspected drug side effects among pharmacists is not satisfactory. This work points to the need to encourage pharmacists to report suspected side effects of drug