Medication Safety Spontaneous Reporting System: The Lebanese Order of Pharmacists Initiative

Akel, Marwan; Ramia, Elsy; Hajj, Aline; Hallit, Souheil; Lahoud, Nathalie; Zaytoun, Abeer; Harb, Maya; Hajj, Hind; Shuhaiber, Patricia; Sacre, Hala; Salameh, Pascale; Zeenny, Rony M.

doi:10.21608/bfpc.2019.47919

	Medication Safety Spontaneous Reporting System: The Lebanese Order of Pharmacists Initiative
Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University
Article 5, Volume 57, Issue 1, 2019, Page 66-81 PDF (851.31 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/bfpc.2019.47919
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Authors
Marwan Akel¹^{, 2}; Elsy Ramia³; Aline Hajj⁴; Souheil Hallit⁵^{, 6}; Nathalie Lahoud¹^{, 5}^{, 7}; Abeer Zaytoun⁸; Maya Harb⁸; Hind Hajj⁹; Patricia Shuhaiber¹⁰; Hala Sacre⁵^{, 8}; Pascale Salameh⁵^{, 11}^{, 12}; Rony M. Zeenny¹³
¹School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon.+
²INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Sante Publique, Epidemiologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Beirut, Lebanon.
³School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
⁴Laboratory of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Quality Control, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pôle Technologie- Santé (PTS), Faculty of Pharmacy, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut 1107 2180, Lebanon.
⁵INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Sante Publique, Epidemiologie Clinique et Toxicologie, Beirut, Lebanon.+
⁶Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon.
⁷Lebanese University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hadath, Lebanon.
⁸Lebanese Order of Pharmacists, Drug Information Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
⁹Algorithm Sal, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon.
¹⁰Mount Lebanon Hospital, Clinical Pharmacy department, Beirut, Lebanon.
¹¹Lebanese University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hadath, Lebanon.+
¹²Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
¹³American University Beirut Medical Center, Clinical Pharmacy department, Beirut, Lebanon.
Abstract
Background: The increase in medication use and expansion of the pharmaceutical industry has led to an increase in hazards, errors and adverse events associated with medication use. In Lebanon, medication safety reporting by pharmacists is lacking due to the absence of an official reporting system. Objective: The objective of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon (OPL) was to engage pharmacists in reporting the adverse drug reactions by creating an efficient tool for this purpose. Methods: The scientific committee at the OPL worked on designing a reporting tool for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Results: An electronic platform was created, and several training sessions were conducted for professionals who would be involved in helping community or hospital pharmacists in launching the platform. The form was tuned based on the findings of the Community pharmacists, hospital pharmacists and the general population questionnaires about medication safety culture, to fit the needs of the practice and to be comprehensive and aligned with international validated standards. Conclusion: Pilot testing is ongoing and regular continuing education sessions and sensitization campaigns are planned, in parallel to the official launching of the project in collaboration with the MOPH. This program has important implications in terms of public health, since knowledge and attitudes are viewed as potentially modifiable factors and their improvement is expected to decrease underreporting; the OPL is also hoping to improve the patient safety culture in Lebanon.
Keywords
Community pharmacists; continuing education; electronic platform; general population; hospital pharmacists; KAP study; Medication Safety; pharmacovigilance


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