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The key role of clinical and community health nurses in pharmacovigilance

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is starting to become routine to nurses. The aim of this review is to underline the role of clinical and community health nurses in pharmacovigilance and to promote their effective participation in ADR reporting in different countries and for patients of different ages.

Methods

The PubMed, Scopus and ISI Web of Science databases were searched for research articles published between January 1985 and April 2017 using the search items “pharmacovigilance” AND “nurse;” “adverse drug reaction report” AND “nurse;” “community health nurse” AND “adverse drug reaction.”

Results

A total of 987 articles were identified using our search strategy, of which 180 articles remained over after the removal of duplicate articles. Of these 180 studies, upon full review we identified 24 which met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and included these in our review. ADR reports by clinical nurses in some countries are comparable in quality and number to those submitted by physicians or pharmacists. Data on ADRs reported by community nurses are currently not available. However, numerous publications emphasized the challenges faced by nurses in reporting ADRs and the need to include pharmacovigilance training in both clinical and community health nurse academic education.

Conclusions

Nurses are central actors in pharmacovigilance activities, particularly in identifying ADRs which remain outside the reach of other healthcare providers and in being fundamental to the preservation of the health of patients and of the entire community, with attention to the more vulnerable patients, such as children and the elderly.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Marco Tuccori.

Contributions of Authors statement

CB and GB participated in the conception of the study, the literature search, the planning of the review and in writing the entire text.

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Correspondence to Guido Bocci.

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The authors did not receive financial support for this research.

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Bigi, C., Bocci, G. The key role of clinical and community health nurses in pharmacovigilance. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 73, 1379–1387 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-017-2309-0

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