• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.164-171
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• 2014

Background: Safety of drugs has become a major issue in public healthcare. Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction (ADR) is the cornerstone in management of drug safety. We aimed to investigate the awareness and knowledge of spontaneous ADR reporting in general public of Korea. Methods: A total of 1,500 study subjects aged 19-69 years were interviewed with a questionnaire for their awareness and knowledge related to spontaneous ADR reporting. Computer assisted telephone interview was performed from 27th February 2013 to 4th March 2013. Target population was selected with quota sampling, using age, sex, and residence area. Healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, and nurses were excluded. The survey questions included awareness of spontaneous ADR reporting, opinions on ways to activate ADR reporting, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Overall awareness of spontaneous ADR reporting system was 8.3% (${\pm}2.53%$) among general population of Korea. Major source from which people got the information regarding ADR reporting was television/radio (69.9%), followed by internet (19.3%), and poster/brochure (6.1%). Awareness level differed between age groups (p<0.0001) and education levels (p<0.0001). Upon learning about the ADR reporting system, 88.5% of study subjects agreed on the necessity of ADR reporting system, while 46.6% thought promotion through internet and mass media as an effective way to activate ADR reporting. Conclusion: The overall awareness of spontaneous ADR reporting should be enhanced in order to establish a firm national system for drug safety. Adequate promotions should be performed targeting lower awareness groups, as well as various publicity activities via effective channels for the general population.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2018

Objective: There have been many cases of spontaneous adverse drug reactions to fentanyl at a regional pharmacovigilance center in the hospital. To assess the factors causing the adverse drug reactions reported in patients receiving fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) monotherapy or in combination with fentanyl transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) for acute post-operative pain management. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with all patients prescribed fentanyl PCA for pain management after orthopedic surgery at a single university hospital from June 2012 to May 2013. We analysed the factors causing adverse drug reactions reported by a spontaneous reporting system in patients receiving fentanyl PCA monotherapy and those receiving fentanyl TTS in combination with fentanyl PCA. Results: Based on the spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting, the risk ratio for the incidence rate of adverse drug reaction in the fentanyl TTS combination therapy group was 3.04 (95 % CI: 2.4-4.00, P < 0.0001), which was approximately 3-fold higher than that reported for fentanyl PCA monotherapy. Only 60 % of the adverse drug reactions were reported. Conclusion: It is inappropriate to add fentanyl TTS to fentanyl PCA to manage post-operative acute pain. There is a need to improve adverse drug reaction reporting. We expect that regular analysis of adverse drug reactions reported at regional pharmacovigilance centre would aid in appropriate drug utilization by patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2019

Objective: To examine the perceptions and attitudes toward spontaneous adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting system among community pharmacists and identify factors that influence reporting, by implementing a survey. Methods: A structured questionnaire was developed and distributed online. Request for the survey was posted on the website of pharmacy's billing program, and the survey was conducted for 8 days. We collected the participants' response on their work environment, experience of ADR reporting, and their perception and attitude on the reporting system. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate factors influencing ADR reporting. Results: A total of 382 pharmacists participated in the survey. Significant contributing factors for reporting level were age (odds ratio [OR], 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-0.96), knowledge of reporting method (OR, 53.56; 95% CI, 9.10-315.41), installation of reporting program (OR, 31.92; 95% CI, 4.16-244.75), and encouragement from the Korean pharmaceutical association (OR, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.11-15.35). Regarding the attitude toward spontaneous ADR reporting system, 'lack of time for reporting' (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.15-0.53) and 'complexity of reporting procedure' (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31-0.84), were associated with a low likelihood of reporting. Conclusion: Our results indicated that the knowledge of ADR reporting method, installation of the reporting program, and encouragement from the Korean Pharmaceutical Association contribute to active reporting. It is necessary to simplify the reporting method, make the ADR reporting program user-friendly, and provide educational interventions to increase participation in spontaneous reporting by the community pharmacists.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitude and knowledge of community pharmacists to spontaneous adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting. A survey was conducted in 103 community pharmacists in Seoul and Kyung-Gi Province from September to October, 2009. Almost half (53, 51.5%) and three-fourths (79, 76.7%) of respondents knew they could participate in ADR reporting in the Regional Pharmacovigilance Center (RPC) or Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). However, only three of them have reported an ADR to the RPC and none of them have reported to KFDA. A majority of the respondents (96, 93.2%) felt that ADR reporting was a professional obligation for pharmacists. The purpose of an ADR reporting was incorrectly identified by most pharmacists. ADR reporting was encouraged if the reaction was serious and a new product. The most frequently mentioned barriers to reporting were: uncertainty concerning the causal relationship (86.3%) and not knowing how to report an ADR (83.2%). Only 19 (18.4%) respondents had received education on how to report ADR. Education was the most recognized method of improving ADR reporting. This study showed the knowledge of ADR reporting among community pharmacists is inadequate. Education and training should be reinforced in order to improve ADR reporting by community pharmacists.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2014

Drugs may cause adverse effects, and spontaneous adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports have been used as the main method of drug safety evaluation after drugs have been released. The World Health Organization (WHO) collects ADR data reported from pharmacovigilance organizations in each nations. In China, pharmacovigilance centers operate with hierarchical structure at local, provincial and national levels. Also, Japan and Korea each operate their own respective independent pharmacovigilance organizations. WHO is collecting ADR reports for herbal medicine and 15~20% of all ADRs was related to herbal medicine in China. There are status reports of ADRs for herbal medicine in Japan as well. However, in Korea, there is no ADR reporting system regarding herbal medicine. In light of these overseas cases, a spontaneous ADR reporting system for herbal medicine in Korea should be necessary as well.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.45-60
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to understand the status of reporting and characteristics of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) induced by herbal drugs and to make a suggestion for the domestic pharmacovigilance system on herbal medicine. Methods: We carried out a hospital-based observational study at Dongguk University Ilsan Oriental Hospital from April 2012 to December 2014. We reviewed all the herbal-drug-associated ADRs reports registered to the spontaneous ADR reporting system in electronic medical records of the hospital in the period. Results: We found out 101 reports including 163 herbal-drug-associated ADRs from 97 patients. Females (69.3%) outnumbered males and the most frequent age group was the 50s (44, 27.0%). No serious adverse event was observed. The most commonly reported ADR was gastro-intestinal system disorders (68, 41.5%) followed by skin-related disorders (42, 25.8%). Diarrhea (29, 17.8%) was the most frequently referred clinical manifestation. Most ADRs were induced by internal medicines (160, 98.2%) including manufactured (36, 22.1%) and self-prepared decoction (160, 76.1%). The pairs of Igi-hwan-diarrhea, gamiboa-tang-vomiting, and Magnoliae Flos-gastro-intestinal-system-related ADRs were observed twice each and the others appeared only once. Conclusions: We propose Korean government to take an initiative in national pharmacovigilance system for herbal medicine. To perform the surveillance on herbal drugs, the Association of Korean Medicine (AKOM) should set up a nationwide network by designating centers connecting the Korean medical hospitals, local Korean medicine clinics, and the public health centers. The government and AKOM should also educate and encourage them to understand the pharmacovigilance system and report the ADRs actively.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.278-284
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• 2007

Despite extensive researches and pre-market clinical trials, only limited information on the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of a drug can be collected at the time of market approval from regulatory agency. ADRs constitute a major public health problem. Post-marketing surveillance of drugs is important to detect signals for ADR. In Korea, one of the main methods for monitoring the safety of marketed drugs is spontaneous reporting system of suspected ADRs. Re-examination and re-evaluation system are in force for monitoring safety of new market approval drugs and currently under marketing drugs, respectively. Recently, regional pharmacovigilance centers were designated from Korean Food and Drug Administration for facilitating ADR surveillance. Over recent years, with the development of information technology, there has been an increased interest in establishing data mining system for detecting signals from Health Insurance Review Agency database. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of Korean ADR surveillance system and suggest the possible solutions for developing active pharmacovigilance system in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.256-268
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• 2013

Objective: To study the attitudes and awareness of healthcare professionals (physicians, pharmacists, nurses and others) toward the Pharmacovigilance system and experience for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from a Single University Hospital in Deajeon. Methods: A survey was performed using a structured questionnaire involving 360 health-care professionals at the hospital between $1^{st}$ November and $16^{th}$ November, 2012. Results: Sixty-five percent (n=235) of all respondents were experienced incidences of ADRs for their patients and 55.8% (n=201) knew the ADR Spontaneous Reporting System in the hospital. However, three-fourths (n=273, 75.8%) of respondents did not know the existence of the Korean Association of Regional Pharmacovigilance Centers (KARP) and 61.7% (n=222) were unaware of the obligation of ADR report from KFDA in cases of serious ADRs. About 83% (n=299) answered that the electronic ADR report system of the hospital was helpful while their work and most (n=336, 93.3%) agreed on the necessaries of the promotion and education about ADR. Conclusion: Seventy-five percent (n=271) of respondents wanted to continue the work for evaluation and feedback for ADRs reported in the hospital. However, the barriers to reporting ADR were; inconvenient ADR reporting system and the lack of time to report ADRs. This study showed that the easier ADR reporting system and education and promotion about ADRs for health-care providers are needed to improve the ADR reporting.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.753-757
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• 2010

The objectives of this paper is to propose the pharmacoepidemiologic methodology to Research for Sasang Constitutional Pharmacology. We mainly searched "Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management". And we also searched "J Korean Oriental Med.", "J of Sasang Constitutional Med.", "J. Oriental Physiology & Pathology", "Korean J Orient Int Med." using these kew words - "adverse event" or "side effect" and "Sasang Contitution" or "Constitution" or "Constitutional medicine". Through the examination of the Pharmacoepidemiologic methodology and current research for sasang constitiutional pharmacology, we could establish the proposal to collect objective constitutional medical reaction. For the actualization of this proposal, the more advanced studies will have to be carried out continuously.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.143-149
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• 2017

Background: L-asparaginase (L-ASP) is a critical agent for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma, which is associated with serious toxicities including hypersensitivity, pancreatitis and thrombosis. Methods: To evaluate the toxicity of L-ASP in real clinical settings, we included the patients with L-ASP adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported in a regional pharmacovigilance center of Seoul St. Mary's hospital from January 2014 to December 2015. Results: A total of 83 cases of L-ASP related ADRs were reported in 54 patients. Of these 83 cases, 65 cases (78.3%, 65/83) were spontaneously reported and 18 cases (21.7%, 18/83) were detected by further medical records review. Of the patients with ADRs, pediatric patients accounted for 83.3% of the cases (45/54) and median age was 9 years. The most common clinical manifestations of ADRs were hematology manifestations (31.3%, 26/83), followed by hepatobiliary manifestations (18.1%, 15/83). Thirty-four serious ADRs were reported in 19 patients. The sserious ADR group showed significantly longer hospitalization and higher rate of discontinuation of L-ASP than the non-serious ADR group (p = 0.005, 0.03). The most common clinical manifestations of serious ADRs were hepatobiliary manifestations (41.2%, 14/34). In total, 8 cases (9.6%, 8/83) of unlabeled ADRs were identified. They were serious ADRs. Conclusion: We identified unlabeled serious ADRs of L-ASP. Also, correlations were observed between serious ADRs and length of hospitalization, discontinuation rate respectively. Further investigations and developed spontaneous ADR reporting systems are needed to evaluate these correlations.