Pharmacovigilance Awareness Among Hospital Pharmacists in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

Pharmacovigilance, the science of detecting, assessing, and preventing adverse drug reactions, is an integral component of safe medicine use. Despite Nigeria having a national pharmacovigilance system through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, reporting rates for adverse drug reactions remain critically low. This study assessed the level of pharmacovigilance awareness and adverse drug reaction reporting practices among hospital pharmacists in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was used, with questionnaires administered to 120 hospital pharmacists recruited from 15 public and private hospitals across three senatorial districts in the state. The instrument measured awareness of pharmacovigilance principles, knowledge of the Yellow Card reporting system, and history of reporting adverse drug reactions. Only 54 percent of respondents demonstrated adequate knowledge of pharmacovigilance concepts, and only 19 percent had ever submitted an adverse drug reaction report. Key barriers included unfamiliarity with the reporting process, uncertainty about reportable events, and perceived lack of institutional support. Pharmacists in tertiary facilities demonstrated significantly better awareness than those in primary and secondary settings. The findings reveal urgent gaps in pharmacovigilance practice and call for mandatory inclusion of pharmacovigilance training in continuing professional development programs in Plateau State. Strengthening the NAFDAC regional reporting network is also essential. Keywords: pharmacovigilance, adverse drug reaction reporting, hospital pharmacists, Plateau State, NAFDAC