Abstract
• Highlights general dental practitioners were aware of the importance of detecting and reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
• Reports that GDPs rarely see ADRs in practice.
• Recognises a need for additional education on ADR identification and reporting.
• Advises GDPs expressed a preference that ADR education should be delivered as continuing professional development.
Objective: Pilot investigation to establish the knowledge, use and education needs of general dental practitioners (GDPs) of the UK yellow card (YC) reporting scheme.
Design: Postal survey.
Main outcome measures: GDP views and experiences.
Results: Of 130 respondents, 74.6% were aware of the scheme. There was greater awareness of the scheme among those with more years in practice (p = 0.003) and those who had trained in the UK (p = 0.002). Six GDPs reported using the YC scheme in the past four years (estimated overall use: 0.01 of a YC per GDP per year); 88.5% had never used the YC scheme. The main reason given was that they never saw ADRs (58.5%). GDPs who had received their undergraduate training in the UK were more likely to be aware of their responsibility to report ADRs as a dentist than those who had trained outside the UK (p = 0.009). While GDPs were able to identify a wide range of sources to help them learn about ADRs, over three quarters of respondents (76.9%) expressed a need for additional postgraduate training.
Conclusions: Under-reporting of ADRs by healthcare professionals is a recognised phenomenon and GDPs appear to be no exception. The effect of providing additional postgraduate training on ADR reporting should be investigated.
• Reports that GDPs rarely see ADRs in practice.
• Recognises a need for additional education on ADR identification and reporting.
• Advises GDPs expressed a preference that ADR education should be delivered as continuing professional development.
Objective: Pilot investigation to establish the knowledge, use and education needs of general dental practitioners (GDPs) of the UK yellow card (YC) reporting scheme.
Design: Postal survey.
Main outcome measures: GDP views and experiences.
Results: Of 130 respondents, 74.6% were aware of the scheme. There was greater awareness of the scheme among those with more years in practice (p = 0.003) and those who had trained in the UK (p = 0.002). Six GDPs reported using the YC scheme in the past four years (estimated overall use: 0.01 of a YC per GDP per year); 88.5% had never used the YC scheme. The main reason given was that they never saw ADRs (58.5%). GDPs who had received their undergraduate training in the UK were more likely to be aware of their responsibility to report ADRs as a dentist than those who had trained outside the UK (p = 0.009). While GDPs were able to identify a wide range of sources to help them learn about ADRs, over three quarters of respondents (76.9%) expressed a need for additional postgraduate training.
Conclusions: Under-reporting of ADRs by healthcare professionals is a recognised phenomenon and GDPs appear to be no exception. The effect of providing additional postgraduate training on ADR reporting should be investigated.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | E22 |
| Journal | British Dental Journal |
| Volume | 214 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2013 |
