Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions Reporting: Healthcare Providers' Experiences from Southern Highland Tanzania

Dorkasi L Mwakawanga; Manase Kilonzi; Erick G Philipo; Aron Martine; Tusaligwe Mbilinyi; Nancy F Kileo; Bryceson Mkinga; Cleopatra Justine Shonyella; Juma A Mohamedi; Aurelia Clement; Davance Mwasomola; Stella E Mushy; Nathanael Sirili

doi:10.1155/2023/5537592

Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions Reporting: Healthcare Providers' Experiences from Southern Highland Tanzania

Adv Pharmacol Pharm Sci. 2023 Oct 16:2023:5537592. doi: 10.1155/2023/5537592. eCollection 2023.

Affiliations

¹ School of Nursing, The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 65001, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
² School of Pharmacy, The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 65013, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
³ School of Diagnostic Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 65001, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital, P.O. Box 419, Mbeya, Tanzania.
⁵ School of Public Health and Allied Sciences, The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 65001, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Abstract

Purpose: This exploratory qualitative study aimed to analyze the experiences of healthcare providers (HCPs) in pharmacovigilance (PV) and ADR reporting in the southern highland zone of Tanzania.

Methods: In 2022, an exploratory qualitative case study using in-depth interviews (IDIs) was conducted to explore the experiences of PV and ADR reporting among HCPs (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists). The study was carried out in a zonal referral hospital and a regional referral hospital of the Tanzanian southern highlands zone. Inductive-deductive thematic analysis was adopted for data analysis.

Results: Participants demonstrated adequate knowledge of PV and its related activities including ADR reporting. Knowing the interactions and wrong medication dosage as sources of ADR, signs, and symptoms, stopping the drug, and treating the symptoms following ADR emerged as subthemes linked with adequate knowledge in identifying and managing ADR. Participants perceived reporting ADR as laborious, posing a subjective burden and that not all ADRs needed to be reported. The latter contributed to limited participation in ADR reporting despite that participants were conversant with both physical and online ADR reporting platforms.

Conclusion: Although HCPs are well informed about PV and ADR reporting including the benefits to public health, their involvement in ADR reporting is low. In addition to the ongoing on-the-job training and regular supportive supervision for HCPs to improve the ADR practice, there is still a need to explore other strategies to be used as motives for HCPs to report ADR regularly.