Журнал фармаконадзора

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Pharmacovigilance in Cabo Verde: Measuring the Awareness and Knowledge of Consumers

Carla Djamila Reis, Calida Etzana Veiga and Jailson Jesus Martins

Background: Rational use of medicine involves everyone but half of all medicines globally are used irrationally. Therefore, the patient knowledge about risk and benefit of medicines can be crucial to maximize the benefit of medicine and limit severe consequences such, adverse drug reaction, drug resistance and even death.

Purpose: To describe the knowledge and attitudes of the consumers regarding the rational use of medicine.

Methods: A descriptive study was performed for consumers’ knowledge and attitudes regarding rational use of medicine. The questionnaire was applied during 1 week (from 18 to 26 August 2015) in all urban areas of the capital of Cabo Verde to a sample of 75.257 individual. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square (χ2) tests.

Results: In general, 87.3% of the respondents recognized the benefit of medicines. However 29.3% of the respondents were not aware that the use of medicines involves a risk. The quality of generic medicine was also not clear for 78.3% of the respondents. In relation to pharmacovigilance, 67.5% of the respondents were aware of adverse drug reactions (ADR) and 35.2% knew that they can report an ADR.

Conclusion: Awareness campaigns are needed for broader consumer information and to promote patient safety and rational use of medicines.