title: Adverse drug reaction reporting by doctors in a developing country: a case study from Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting is the most widely used and cost effective method of monitoring the safety of drugs. This method is heavily afflicted by underreporting by healthcare professionals. The study aims at assessing adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting rate by doctors, knowledge of the reporting system and attitudes to SADR in the Greater Accra region.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross sectional survey of 259 doctors randomly selected from 23 hospitals classified as government 199 (76.8%), quasi-governmental 43(16.6%) and private 17 (6.6%) hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Data collection was by self-administered questionnaire from May 5, 2012-July 6, 2012. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the background characteristics of the doctors and the outcome measures like training and reasons for ADR reporting were summarized as frequencies and percentages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-third (27.4%) of doctors surveyed had received previous training on drug safety monitoring and ADR reporting; training and knowledge of the reporting system was found to improve reporting. More than half 154 (59.5%) of the doctors had seen a patient with suspected ADR in the past one year although only 31 (20%) had reported it by completing the SADR reporting form. Doctors working in government hospitals were about 5 times more likely to report than those in private hospitals [OR=4.94, 95%CI (1.55-15.69)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training and knowledge of the ADR reporting system were found to be associated with the likelihood of reporting an ADR. Most of the doctors had not previously received training on ADR reporting.
authors.affiliation: Ghana Food and Drugs Authority, P.O. Box CT 2783 Cantonments, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Sabblah
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Akweongo
authors.affiliation: Ghana Food and Drugs Authority, P.O. Box CT 2783 Cantonments, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darko
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, P.O. Box GP 4236, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: A N O
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Dodoo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, P.O. Box GP 4236, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sulley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D020445:Hospitalists / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Ghana; Spontaneous reporting; adverse drug reaction; doctors; underreporting