Table 2.
Factors that may discourage pharmacists from reporting adverse drug reactions
| Reason1 | Agree | Disagree | Bateman et al. [10]2,4 | Belton et al. [11]2,4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concern that a doctor gets a copy of my yellow card | 25 (9.0%) | 254 (91.0%) | NA5 | NA5 |
| Lack of confidence in discussing the ADR with the prescriber | 45 (16.2%) | 233 (83.8%) | NA5 | NA5 |
| Apprehension about sending in an inappropriate report | 94 (33.7%) | 185 (66.3%) | NA5 | 20 (8%)*** |
| Lack of time to fill in a report | 126 (45.2%) | 153 (54.8%) | 327 (27.7%)* | 54 (21%)*** |
| Concern that a report will generate extra work | 49 (17.6%) | 230 (82.4%) | 346 (29.3%)*** | NA5 |
| The absence of a fee for reporting ADRs | 14 (5.0%) | 265 (95.0%) | 177 (15.0%)*** | NA5 |
| Lack of time to actively look for ADRs while in clinical practice | 158 (56.8%) | 120 (43.2%) | NA5 | NA5 |
| Level of clinical knowledge makes it difficult to decide whether or not an ADR has occurred | 90 (32.3%) | 189 (67.7%) | NA5 | NA5 |
| Don’t feel the need to report well recognised reactions | 114 (40.9%) | 165 (59.1%) | NA5 | NA5 |
| Pharmacists yellow cards not available when needed | 27 (9.7%) | 252 (90.3%) | NA5 | 55 (21%)** |
1
Number of pharmacists responding (n = 278 or 279).
2
Number and percentage agreeing with statement.
3
Responses were ‘Yes’/‘No’/‘Not Sure’.
4
P values were calculated using χ2 tests comparing responses from either Bateman et al. (n = 1181) [13] or Belton et al. (n = 260) [12] with the responses from pharmacists:
*
P < 0.01
**
P < 0.001
***
P < 0.0001.
5
NA: not applicable or not asked in the survey.