A STUDY ON THE ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS IN THE IDENTIFICATION AND REPORTING OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF KERALA

Nithin Manohar R.*, Ancy T.S., Akhila S.P., Anaswara A., Anjana U.J. and Prasobh G.R.

ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to assess the Adverse Drug Reaction Awareness and knowledge,attitude and practice of respiratory tract infection therapy in communitypharmacies atSouthern part of Kerala. In this study, we analyse the Adverse Drug Reaction Awareness,knowledge, attitude and practice of respiratory tract infection therapy in communitypharmacies. The knowledge attitude and practice were assessed by using suitably designedquestionnaire. This study evaluates the Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) awareness and the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of community pharmacists regarding the management ofrespiratory tract infections (RTIs) in Southern Kerala. Data was collected from 100 communitypharmacies involving 162 pharmacists. The study aimed to assess the ADR awareness andoverall management of RTIs before and after counselling. Demographic data showed a higherpercentage of male pharmacists (60.5%), with a significant proportion of younger pharmacistsin the 20-30 age group (48%). Pharmacists above the age of 50 showed a lack of knowledgeregarding the latest ADR reporting guidelines and the side effects of RTI therapies. The studyalso revealed that most community pharmacists were qualified with a Diploma in Pharmacy(65%). Initially, the pharmacists’ knowledge of ADRs and RTI therapy was below average,highlighting the need for counselling on ADR awareness and the risks associated with RTItherapy. After counselling, significant improvements were observed in the knowledge, attitude, andpractice of pharmacists concerning ADRs and RTI therapy. The knowledge of ADRs related toRTIs increased from 46% to 83%, and knowledge of RTI therapy improved from 63.3% to88.4%. Attitude scores rose from 38% to 57.9%, and practice scores increased from 44.1% to60.4%, with all improvements being statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). The mostcommonly dispensed drugs for RTIs were antibiotics (52%), followed by corticosteroids (17%)and bronchodilators (13%). The study highlights the positive impact of providing ADRawareness and information on the use and side effects of RTI therapy through a counselling through leaflet. It concludes that improving ADR identification, reporting, and understanding of RTItherapy significantly enhances community pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practicetowards RTI therapy management.

Keywords: KAP, Adverse Drug Reactions, Questionnaire, Community Pharmacy.