[Reasons to report or not report side effects of drugs to the national monitoring system in the Netherlands].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the awareness of medical practitioners in the Netherlands regarding the national voluntary reporting scheme for adverse reactions to drugs, and the reasons for non-reporting.


METHODS
Questionnaire.


METHODS
Netherlands Centre for Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Drugs.


METHODS
A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 500 practitioners aged under 65 in the database of the Dutch Inspectorate for Health Care.


RESULTS
Of the 500 questionnaires 265 (53%) were returned and completely filled in. Sixty-seven (25%) practitioners had reported a suspected adverse reaction on one or several occasions during their practising career; 229 (86%) would report a serious adverse reaction, 190 (72%) an unknown one, 185 (70%) an adverse reaction to a new product, and 83 (31%) a proven adverse reaction. Almost 20% said they had had difficulties reporting because they could not find the telephone number or reporting forms. Forty practitioners (15%) claimed that they were too busy to report adverse reactions. Almost all practitioners (94%) were aware of the fact that the reporting scheme serves the early detection of unknown adverse reactions.
van Riemsdijk
M M
MM
Inspectie voor de Gezondheidszorg, sectie Geneesmiddelenbewaking, Rijswijk.
Herings
R M
RM
Rawlins
M D
MD
Stricker
B H
BH
D016903:Drug Monitoring; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires