Health care systems in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere play a significant role in the lives of individuals as well as society at large. Although healthcare aims at enhancing the quality of life it can sometimes happen that treatment itself can lead to a diminution of the quality of life due to unexpected adverse effects. These problems may cause therapeutic failures or even drug-related morbidity and mortality. Consequently there is a need to have in place a system, conventionally known as Pharmacovigilance. The aims of Pharmacovigilance are to identify, quantify and continuously monitor all drug use through a system which would enable all health care professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, dentists and nurses to contribute. This thesis investigated the present knowledge of and use of, the Pharmacovigilance system in Makkah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A mixed method yielded data that provided depth and breadth to the findings of this study. A questionnaire was designed for 170 community pharmacists and 310 respondents drawn from different medical roles across the seven hospitals in Makkah yielded some useful results. Resistance to change was identified in some groups but it was of interest to discover that 72% of respondents who admitted that their knowledge was insufficient were, nevertheless, agreed about its importance. Key issues from the analysis of the questionnaire were used to design the second phase of the sequential mixed method which involved semi structured interviews with seven senior pharmacists, one from each of the seven hospitals. Analysis yielded three overarching categories: Technology, Internalisation and Motivation. A follow up feedback survey at the end of a lecture, of a group of pharmacy students enhanced the overall findings of the study and revealed a very high degree of interest and acceptance of Pharmacovigilance reporting systems and an expressed desire for its inclusion as a subject in its own right in their training programme. Conflicting epistemological positions inherent in a mixed method are candidly admitted and no attempt is made to circumvent this difficulty. Rather, the enhanced nature of the findings is highlighted despite the opposing knowledge claims of both approaches. A key finding was that 59% of the respondents were unaware of the Saudi National Pharmacovigilance centre (NPC) and reporting arrangements. The problems of lack of internet access and of suitable reporting forms were important contributory reasons for the under-usage of the system. There is a need to raise awareness of all pharmacists of the importance of the knowledge and practice of Pharmacovigilance. Technological solutions should be implemented to facilitate reporting at all levels. Continuing professional development should include Pharmacovigilance. Resistance to change can be addressed by identifying the motivational factors that can lead to a more wholehearted acceptance of the importance of Pharmacovigilance for patient care and well-being. Indeed, these could well be the focus of future studies.

Health care systems in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere play a significant role in the lives of individuals as well as society at large. Although healthcare aims at enhancing the quality of life it can sometimes happen that treatment itself can lead to a diminution of the quality of life due to unexpected adverse effects. These problems may cause therapeutic failures or even drug-related morbidity and mortality. Consequently there is a need to have in place a system, conventionally known as Pharmacovigilance. The aims of Pharmacovigilance are to identify, quantify and continuously monitor all drug use through a system which would enable all health care professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, dentists and nurses to contribute. This thesis investigated the present knowledge of and use of, the Pharmacovigilance system in Makkah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A mixed method yielded data that provided depth and breadth to the findings of this study. A questionnaire was designed for 170 community pharmacists and 310 respondents drawn from different medical roles across the seven hospitals in Makkah yielded some useful results. Resistance to change was identified in some groups but it was of interest to discover that 72% of respondents who admitted that their knowledge was insufficient were, nevertheless, agreed about its importance. Key issues from the analysis of the questionnaire were used to design the second phase of the sequential mixed method which involved semi structured interviews with seven senior pharmacists, one from each of the seven hospitals. Analysis yielded three overarching categories: Technology, Internalisation and Motivation. A follow up feedback survey at the end of a lecture, of a group of pharmacy students enhanced the overall findings of the study and revealed a very high degree of interest and acceptance of Pharmacovigilance reporting systems and an expressed desire for its inclusion as a subject in its own right in their training programme. Conflicting epistemological positions inherent in a mixed method are candidly admitted and no attempt is made to circumvent this difficulty. Rather, the enhanced nature of the findings is highlighted despite the opposing knowledge claims of both approaches. A key finding was that 59% of the respondents were unaware of the Saudi National Pharmacovigilance centre (NPC) and reporting arrangements. The problems of lack of internet access and of suitable reporting forms were important contributory reasons for the under-usage of the system. There is a need to raise awareness of all pharmacists of the importance of the knowledge and practice of Pharmacovigilance. Technological solutions should be implemented to facilitate reporting at all levels. Continuing professional development should include Pharmacovigilance. Resistance to change can be addressed by identifying the motivational factors that can lead to a more wholehearted acceptance of the importance of Pharmacovigilance for patient care and well-being. Indeed, these could well be the focus of future studies. / Ministry of Interior, KSA

Submitted by Luanna Matias (lua_matias@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-02-09T16:23:35Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Ana Carolina Figueiredo Modesto - 2014.pdf: 6541862 bytes, checksum: e3323351d0b19ca89de7c95a670ee23b (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Erika Demachki (erikademachki@gmail.com) on 2015-02-12T17:42:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Ana Carolina Figueiredo Modesto - 2014.pdf: 6541862 bytes, checksum: e3323351d0b19ca89de7c95a670ee23b (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-02-12T17:42:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Ana Carolina Figueiredo Modesto - 2014.pdf: 6541862 bytes, checksum: e3323351d0b19ca89de7c95a670ee23b (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-09 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / Background: The use of drugs isn’t harmless, and require greater attention by health professionals to assist in identifying and preventing adverse drug reactions. These, and other problems related to drug use are the subject of study of pharmacovigilance. It becomes necessary knowledge by health professionals to improve patient safety. Objective: To measure the knowledge and attitudes among healthcare professionals in a teaching hospital towards adverse drugs reactions and a pharmacovigilance program. Methodology: Cross-sectional study conducted from October 2013 to January 2014 with 54 health professionals in a medical unit and in the pharmacy of a sentinel hospital. Data were collected through a questionnaire divided into three sessions: the first is the profissiographic and demographic characteristics of health professionals, and the subsequent identification of knowledge on adverse drug reactions and Pharmacovigilance hospital program. Results: There was a predominance of technical professionals in nursing (35.2%), female (79.6%), aged between 26 and 30 years (33.4%). Almost half of the participants (46.2%) had knowledge about adverse drug reactions, likewise 35.8% did towards pharmacovigilance. The probability of having knowledge about adverse drug reactions increases with longer professional training and activities at the institution, and the same does not occur with the knowledge of pharmacovigilance. Regarding the institutional knowledge, only 11.1% of participants stated that they know the site that has operations across the suspected adverse drug reactions and 38.9% reported the knowledge about the inclusion of the institution on a pharmacovigilance program. Conclusion: There was a predominance of female professionals, the technical area in nursing and training time and work at less than or equal to five years institution. It was observed that doctors have more knowledge about the concept of adverse drug reaction, and nurse technician, the lowest. Health professionals had little knowledge about the location of the institution that has operations across the adverse drug reactions and inserting the same in any program pharmacovigilance. / Introdução: A utilização de medicamentos não está isenta de riscos, maior atenção por parte dos profissionais de saúde pode auxiliar na identificação e prevenção das Reações Adversas a Medicamentos (RAM). Estas, e demais problemas relacionados ao seu uso são objeto de estudo da Farmacovigilância (FV). Faz-se necessário seu conhecimento, por parte dos profissionais de saúde, como forma de contribuir para a segurança do paciente. Objetivo: Identificar os conhecimentos e condutas de profissionais de saúde de um hospital de ensino frente às Reações Adversas a Medicamentos e ao programa de Farmacovigilância hospitalar. Metodologia: Estudo transversal, com coleta de dados realizada no período de outubro de 2013 a janeiro de 2014 com 54 profissionais de saúde em uma unidade de clínica médica e no serviço de farmácia de um hospital da rede sentinela. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário dividido em três sessões: a primeira consiste na caracterização demográfica e profissiográfica dos participantes, e as subsequentes, na identificação dos conhecimentos e condutas sobre as Reações Adversas a Medicamentos e ao programa de Farmacovigilância hospitalar. Resultados: Quase metade dos participantes (46,2%) mostraram conhecimentos sobre RAM, destes, os médicos foram os que detém maior conhecimento em relação aos demais profissionais (p=0,00). Em contrapartida, os técnicos em enfermagem mostraram menos conhecimento (p=0,00). Um total de 35,8% dos participantes do estudo mostraram conhecimentos em relação à FV, destes, os farmacêuticos demonstraram maior conhecimento em relação aos demais profissionais (p=0,00), em oposição, os médicos apresentaram menores conhecimentos sobre este conceito (p=0,01). A probabilidade de apresentar conhecimentos sobre as RAM aumenta em profissionais com maior tempo de formação e atuação na instituição, e o mesmo não ocorre com os conhecimentos sobre a farmacovigilância. Somente 11,1% dos participantes declararam conhecer o local que tenha atuação frente às suspeitas de RAM e 38,9% mencionaram o conhecimento acerca da inserção da instituição em um programa de FV. Conclusão: Houve predominância de profissionais do sexo feminino, da área técnica em enfermagem e tempo de formação e de trabalho na instituição inferior ou igual à cinco anos. Observou-se, dentre os profissionais participantes do estudo, que os médicos possuem maior conhecimento sobre o conceito de RAM, e o técnico em enfermagem, o menor. Os profissionais de saúde apresentaram poucos conhecimentos quanto ao local da instituição que tenha atuação frente às RAM, bem como a inserção da mesma em algum programa de FV.