Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Physicians towards Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of physicians towards adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Method: The study was conducted in King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over a three-month period (April to June 2014). A self-administered questionnaire was delivered to 116 physicians. The questionnaire comprised of close-ended as well as open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics including, frequency distribution and percentages, were used for both demographic data and various responses to the questions. Results: The response rate was 81.09 %. The mean age of the respondents was 33.3 ± 11.49 years. Of the 94 physicians who completed the questionnaire, 88.7 % of them didn't know about the National Pharmacovigilance Center. Almost all the physicians (95.7 %) were not satisfied by their training in ADRs reporting while half (49.3 %) of the respondents thought that only serious ADRs should be reported. Conclusion: There is a need for more educational and training programs for physicians regarding the pharmacovigilance system and ADRs reporting. More research is needed to study the knowledge and attitudes of other healthcare professionals and in various settings.