Use Of Mobile Phones For Monitoring Adverse Drug Reactions In "Open System Pharmacy" In Ishaka, Bushenyi District

ABSTRACT

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are significant causes of morbidity and mortality and may cause

many hospitalizations leading to large economic burdens to patients and to society. Postmarketing

surveillance offers assessment of drug released to the market in different categories of

people, other than those in whom the drug was tested. However dmg reactions are currently little

or not monitored from the open system pharmacy comprising of community pharmacies and

drug stores. This study evaluates the use of mobile phone technology to report ADRs following

drug exposure in Ishaka municipality. Purchase of medicines was actively monitored for 8 weeks

in two community pharmacies (CP) and five drug stores. Information on experience of drug

reactions was obtained by mobile telephone from 190 clients who purchased medication during

the 8 week period. A total of 420 drugs were purchased during the period. Antibiotics (35%),

analgesics (20.5%) and antimalarials (7.1%) were the most frequently purchased medicines.

Clients without prescriptions were 55.8% .The response to mobile phone monitoring of reactions

to drugs was 96% in the first 24 hours (day 1) after purchase and decreased to 89.5% by day 4.

404 different incidences of drug reactions were reported by 108 (56.8%) participants followed up

using mobile phone. There were no dmg reactions reported on day 7 and day 14. All the

reactions were examined and classified as side effects of the drugs. There were no ADRs

reported. 34% of the participants bought single drugs whereas 66% purchased more than one

dmg. Of those who purchased more than one drug, drug interactions occurred in 24.8%. Of the

different reactions reported, gastrointestinal (GIT) disturbances occurred more frequently ( 44.1

%) followed by central nervous system (CNS) effects (10.2%). There was no method of reporting drug reactions existing in the outlets examined. The findings from this study indicate that monitoring of dmg reactions is essential in the system. Respondents were clearly willing to report any reaction to the drugs and the availability of a toll-free telephone line would facilitate pharmacovigilance and follow up of response to medicines in a resource-poor setting.