Background: Knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals are significant factors that affect the reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). No previous research has examined the predictors of knowledge and attitudes toward ADR reporting in Vietnam.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the factors (ie, demographic and job-related characteristics) associated with inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes toward ADR reporting in a Vietnamese public hospital.
Methods: A survey recruited a cross-sectional sample of 511 healthcare professionals (with a response rate of 92.9%) at a public hospital in Vinh Long province, Vietnam, from December 2022 to February 2023, using a self-administered questionnaire. Factors related to knowledge and attitudes toward ADR reporting were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: Pharmacists had significantly lower knowledge scores (mean = 5.86) than medical practitioners (7.24) and nurses (6.72). Additionally, pharmacists' attitudes scored significantly lower (34.61) than those of medical practitioners (37.21) and nurses (36.86). Multivariate logistic regression showed that educational level, healthcare profession, monthly on-call shifts, and number of direct patient interactions were factors associated with a lower level of knowledge regarding ADR reporting. Additionally, age group and healthcare profession were identified as factors associated with negative attitudes toward ADR reporting among healthcare workers.
Conclusions: Our study identified several factors associated with lower levels of knowledge and negative attitudes toward ADR reporting among healthcare workers in Vietnam. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and education programs to improve healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes toward ADR reporting.
Keywords: Vietnam; Vinh Long; adverse drug reactions; hospital; pharmacist; pharmacovigilance.
© The Author(s) 2023.