ADVERSE DRUG REPORTING IN COMMUNITY PHARMACY PRACTICE IN THE POMERANIAN DISTRICT IN POLAND.

The changing role of the modern pharmacies involves reporting adverse drug reactions (ADR's). The aim of the study is to investigate the knowledge of community pharmacy professional staff (PS) about the new pharmacovigilance (PG) legislation and to analyze patients' attitudes towards the community pharmacy role in PG across north central region in Poland. Research material was collected in a group of pharmacy PS and patients from January 2014 to August 2014 in the Pomeranian District. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The research project consisted of three single anonymous surveys. Main outcome measure was knowledge of PS towards ADRs reporting, attitudes of patients towards ADRs in relation to PS in a community pharmacy. Over half of surveyed pharmacists (54.7%) and only 13% of pharmaceutical technicians know the correct and current definition of ADR. PS do not know what kind of ADRs should be reported - only 41% of pharmacists and 12.1% of technicians presented adequate knowledge. As far as the knowledge of where to notify is concerned - it was present in 60.7% of pharmacists and only 11.2% of pharmaceutical technicians. In most cases pharmacists (72%) know that patients can make their own notifications, technicians showed such knowledge only in 37.4% of cases. Patients who detect an ADR occurrence often do not transmit the information (19% of respondents). However, if they decide to report, they mostly talk to physicians (76.6%), and, less frequently (14.6%), to pharmacy PS. In the opinion of patients, however, the pharmacy PS (20.3%) are identified as sub- jects involved in reporting ADRs and those who can transmit information on the ADRs. The results suggest that pharmacists' knowledge of the rules of reporting ADRs is superior to that of pharmaceutical technicians. In fact, PS are not sufficiently prepared for reporting ADRs. Patients, in turn, do not have adequate awareness of reporting the observed ADRs. They, however, associate the community pharmacy with PG system, although the extent is unsatisfactory. In this regard, a more effective training of PS would be recommended along with tailored social campaigns to inform about the PG system in Poland.