Views of parents and pharmacists following participation in a paediatric pharmacovigilance study

Objective To explore the experiences and views of community pharmacists and parents participating in a prospective paediatric pharmacovigilance study. Method Twenty-five pharmacists and 32 parents were approached for telephone interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically to identify recurring issues and themes. Results Seventeen pharmacists and 22 parents were interviewed. Parents and pharmacists agreed that more information about the side effects of medicines in children was required. Both groups reported willingness to participate in future prospective pharmacovigilance studies, although pharmacists expressed concerns about the lack of financial incentives. Pharmacists reported that parents had concerns regarding the confidentiality of their child's ADR data and the study data collection process. Conclusion This study highlighted positive and negative opinions of parents and pharmacists regarding their experiences in this research project. Maintaining confidentiality in relation to indication and medicines prescribed were important issues for parents whereas time constraints and lack of financial incentives were key issues influencing participation by community pharmacists.