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Community pharmacists’ knowledge and perceptions about adverse drug reactions and barriers towards their reporting in Eastern region, Alahsa, Saudi Arabia

Objective: The present study aims to analyze community pharmacists’ current knowledge and perceived barriers to adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting systems in the Eastern region, Alahsa, Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was planned from 1 June 2012 to 15 July 2012 among the community pharmacies in the Eastern region, Alahsa. A total of 70 community pharmacists were approached using a cluster sampling method. A self-administered, 28-item questionnaire was used to attain the objectives of the study. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science version 13. Relative index ranking was used to identify the top five barriers to the ADR reporting process. Results: Response to the survey was 71.43%. In terms of knowledge about ADRs, very few (four, 8.0%) pharmacists were unable to differentiate between the right and wrong definition of ADRs. About 42 (84.0%) pharmacists mentioned that patients often report adverse events. However, 45 (90.0%) were not aware of the ADR reporting system in Saudi Arabia. A deficient professional environment was the main barrier to the ADR reporting process. In addition, unavailability of the reporting forms and poor understanding of the reporting process were common barriers to the reporting process. Conclusion: Most of the community pharmacists were unaware of the ADR reporting system in Saudi Arabia. Logistic issues were the main barriers to the ADR reporting process.