South Africa Speaks Up: What We Think About Medicine Side Effects

Hey there! Let’s chat about something super important for all of us who take medicine – and let’s be honest, that’s most people at some point! We’re diving into what folks in South Africa know and how they feel about those pesky side effects medicines can sometimes cause, also known as Adverse Drug Events (ADEs), and whether they think reporting them is a big deal.

It’s like this: medicines are amazing, right? They help us get better, prevent illnesses, and generally make life easier. But, just like anything powerful, they can sometimes have unintended effects. Keeping track of these effects is crucial for making sure medicines are as safe as possible for everyone. This whole process of monitoring medicine safety after they’re out in the world? That’s called pharmacovigilance.

Traditionally, healthcare pros were the main reporters of ADEs. But guess what? You, me, the person next door – we’re using these medicines! Our experiences matter. Direct reporting from consumers (that’s us!) gives a unique look at how medicines affect real people in their daily lives. With the internet and social media, we’ve got more power than ever to share our experiences and contribute to medicine safety.

To really get consumers involved, though, we need to know a few things: what counts as an ADE, who to tell about it, and how to actually do the telling (are there tools? Apps?). That’s why studies like this one are so cool – they check the pulse of public awareness.

South Africa has been on the ball with this for a while, joining a global medicine monitoring program way back in 1992. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is the main body here looking after health products, including keeping tabs on safety. They’ve got a system for collecting and evaluating ADE reports.

But even with systems in place, there’s a worldwide challenge: under-reporting. Lots of ADEs just don’t get reported, for various reasons. South Africa faces this too. SAHPRA even launched a mobile app in 2021, called the Med Safety App, to try and make reporting easier for everyone. It’s meant to be a handy tool for both the public and healthcare pros to report side effects and learn about medicine safety.

So, this study basically asked a bunch of adults living in South Africa what they knew about ADEs, how they felt about reporting them, and if they saw themselves playing a role in this. They did it with an online questionnaire. Let’s see what they found out!

What People Know About ADEs

Okay, first off, good news! Most participants – a solid 86.2% – had actually heard about ADEs. That’s pretty high! And the vast majority (94.4%) thought reporting them was important.

Unsurprisingly, healthcare professionals (HCPs) were significantly more aware of ADEs than non-HCPs. Like, 98% of HCPs had heard of them compared to 81.5% of non-HCPs. Makes sense, right? It’s part of their job.

Most people (87.4%) knew that ADEs *had* to be reported, and a good chunk (84.9%) were aware that *anyone* could report them – not just doctors or nurses. This is encouraging!

Interestingly, non-HCPs said they mostly learned about reporting ADEs from the internet, while HCPs learned from other HCPs. This tells us something about where people are getting their info.

Attitudes Towards Reporting: Why Bother?

When asked if reporting was important, almost everyone agreed – 98% of HCPs and 93% of non-HCPs. High fives all around for that positive attitude!

The top reasons people gave for why reporting matters were really community-focused:

• To make the healthcare provider aware of what the medicine caused (95.9%)
• To avoid the same reaction happening to other people (94.6%)
• To make sure the report reaches the medicine manufacturer (92.2%)

These reasons show a real sense of responsibility and care for others, which is fantastic. Less common reasons included wanting compensation (only 25.7%) or wanting the HCP to be reprimanded (around 46.4% for non-HCPs, less for HCPs). A significant number also saw reporting as important to assure themselves of the medicine’s authenticity, which is a valid concern, especially in regions dealing with counterfeit medicines.

The Tools of the Trade: Knowing How and Where

Okay, so people know about ADEs and think reporting is important. But do they know *how* to report? This is where things get a bit less rosy.

SAHPRA itself was relatively well known (77.4% had heard of it), especially among HCPs (92.9%). But the Med Safety App? Not so much. Only 17.3% of participants overall knew about it. Awareness was higher among HCPs (38.4%) than non-HCPs (a mere 8.4%), but even for HCPs, that’s less than half! This suggests that even if people want to report, they might not know about the tools available to do it easily. This lack of awareness about reporting tools is a known barrier globally.

Talking to Your Doctor

This is another interesting point. Only about half of participants (50.5%) said they had asked their healthcare provider about potential ADEs. And only slightly more than half of non-HCPs (51.5%) said their HCP had actually provided them with information about potential side effects. HCPs reported getting more info from *their* HCPs (66.3%), which is a bit unexpected but highlights the need for HCPs to be better informed themselves and to proactively share this information with patients.

It seems there’s a bit of a gap here. If people are getting their info about reporting ADEs from the internet rather than their doctor, it suggests that the conversation about side effects and reporting isn’t happening consistently during consultations. This is a missed opportunity, as guidance from HCPs is a known factor that encourages reporting.

Feeling Informed and Wanting More Info

A significant number of non-HCPs (45.6%) felt they weren’t well informed about the side effects their medication might cause. This is a big deal! If you don’t know what to look out for, how can you report it?

The good news? Most participants, both HCPs (61.7%) and non-HCPs (71.4%), expressed a strong desire to learn *more* about the side effects of their medicines. This willingness to learn is a fantastic foundation for future awareness efforts.

Most people (90.1%) said they read the medication leaflet that comes with their medicine, which is great, as these leaflets are supposed to contain information about side effects and how to report them to SAHPRA. This might explain some of the general awareness levels.

A Few Caveats (Study Limitations)

Now, every study has its little quirks and limitations, and this one is no different. Since it was an online survey advertised on specific news platforms, the participants were likely people who use those platforms, have internet access, live in urban areas (which was confirmed by the data – 91.5% urban residents), and are proficient in English (as the survey was only in English). This means the findings might not perfectly represent *all* adults in South Africa, especially those in rural areas or without internet access. Also, relying on people’s memory about past experiences can sometimes lead to recall bias.

Despite these points, the study still gives us valuable insights, especially from the perspective of people who *are* online and engaged enough to participate. It even included HCPs as medicine users, which is a cool angle.

So, What’s the Big Takeaway?

Here’s the lowdown: Adult South Africans generally know what ADEs are and believe it’s important to report them. That’s a super positive starting point! The communal desire to protect others by reporting is really heartening.

However, there are clear areas for improvement. Awareness of specific reporting tools like the Med Safety App is low, even among HCPs. Communication about potential side effects and the importance of reporting isn’t happening enough between healthcare providers and patients during consultations. And many people, especially non-HCPs, feel they aren’t well informed about the side effects of their own medication.

The study recommends leveraging this positive attitude towards reporting by launching awareness campaigns. And these campaigns need to target *everyone* – both the general public and healthcare professionals – focusing on *how* to report and the tools available. Improving communication during consultations is also key.

Ultimately, building a strong culture of medicine safety awareness, where everyone feels confident and informed about the benefits and risks of medicines, is the goal. This study shows we’ve got a good foundation of awareness and willingness in South Africa; now it’s about closing those gaps in knowledge about reporting tools and improving the conversation around medicine safety.

Source: Springer