With the intention of promoting spontaneous
ADR reporting by healthcare professionals working
in hospitals, we proposed the inclusion of a
hyperlink to an online ADR reporting form (part
of the Northern Pharmacovigilance Centre [UFN]
website) on the electronic patient records (EPRs)
or on the desktops of hospital computers. With
this system, we expected to reach not only the
physicians but also the pharmacists and nurses
working at these hospitals. In Portuguese hospitals,
pharmacists have an important role in ADR
detection and reporting because physicians discuss
with them the adverse events that occurred
during medical treatment, asking for alternative
drugs available at the pharmacy. In addition,
some pharmacists are part of the clinical visit and
frequently detect ADRs themselves.