Background: While yellow card reporting system has started in 1998 in Iran, the ADR reporting rate is very low.
Objective: In order to explore whether the Iranian Pharmacovigilance system could be modified, and to determine reasons for under-reporting, a study to investigate the role of pharmacists in ADR reporting was done in Shiraz.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2013 in Shiraz, Iran. After describing the study and its goal for each participant, oral consent was taken.
Results: 100 out of 120 pharmacists (83.3%) agreed to participate in the interview. 79 out of 100 respondents were working in private pharmacies, 7% in governmental pharmacies, and 3% in pharmacies located in hospitals. Although level of knowledge regarding ADR was low among pharmacists, all of them admitted that paying attention to ADRs and timely reporting is very important. While 6 (6%) pharmacists thought that they had been taught too much about ADR in the university, 30% believed that it was enough, 41% claimed that it was not satisfactory and 23% admitted that it was little.
Conclusions: Our pharmacists have little knowledge about the process, goal, and importance of ADR spontaneous reporting system. Otherwise, education and training courses will be important in maintaining, improving and enhancing ADR reports by pharmacists.
Keywords: Iran; Pharmacists; attitude; knowledge; practice adverse drug reaction reporting.