Oropharyngeal adverse drug reactions: knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) among Italian healthcare professionals and students

IntroductionPharmacovigilance plays a vital role in ensuring drug safety and protecting public health. Oropharyngeal adverse drug reactions (O-ADRs) are found to be under-reported, especially by oral health professionals, limiting the identification and management of these events.AimsThis study aime...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gaetano La Mantia, Giulia Marcon, Martina Coppini, Fortunato Buttacavoli, Vera Panzarella, Giuseppe Colella, Annalisa Capuano, Liberata Sportiello, Gaspare Parrinello, Ilaria Morreale, Giacomo Oteri, Giuseppe Bellavia, Vittorio Fusco, Rodolfo Mauceri, Monica Bazzano, Giuseppe Seminara, Olga Di Fede, Giuseppina Campisi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1572611/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:IntroductionPharmacovigilance plays a vital role in ensuring drug safety and protecting public health. Oropharyngeal adverse drug reactions (O-ADRs) are found to be under-reported, especially by oral health professionals, limiting the identification and management of these events.AimsThis study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of healthcare professionals and students regarding O-ADRs and to assess their specific expertise by a self-e-learning test.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted using a KAP questionnaire between April 2023 and April 2024, involving 943 participants, including physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, and students. Additionally, three sets of self-e-learning tests on O-ADRs were administered. The study employed descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and logistic regression to analyze factors affecting KAP and reporting behaviors.ResultsSignificant gaps in KAP were identified. Only 26.5% of participants demonstrated frequent best practices for reporting O-ADRs, with dentists and dental hygienists showing lower reporting rates (13.8% and 9.3%, respectively) compared to physicians (18.8%). The results of logistic regression analyses showed that practical knowledge was significantly associated with work experience (OR = 2.15, p = 0.026). Students exhibited the lowest levels of practical knowledge and reporting proficiency, with only 17.6% demonstrating competence. The self-e-learning test highlighted knowledge deficits: only 22.9% of participants correctly identified O-ADR associated with antiseptic mouth rinses, additional 30.2% recognized those linked to antimicrobial drugs.ConclusionsThis study highlights the need for targeted educational interventions to address gaps in O-ADR knowledge and practice. Tailored training, user-friendly digital tools, and a strong pharmacovigilance culture are crucial for improving reporting rates and ensuring patient safety.
ISSN:2296-2565