Journal of Pharmacovigilance

Characteristics of sildenafil citrate users in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

6^th Pharmacovigilance Congress

September 28-30, 2016 Toronto, Canada

Dawit Teshome Gebregeorgise

Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Pharmacovigil

Abstract:

Background: Misuse of sildenafil citrate by healthy young men for recreational purpose is becoming a major concern. The main sources for this are medicine retail outlets (i.e. pharmacies and drug stores).The aims of this study were to describe the characteristics of sildenafil citrate users and to assess the dispensing practice of sildenafil citrate, in community pharmacies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A survey was conducted among customers who purchased sildenafil citrate from community pharmacies in May 2013; and semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists. Quantitative data was analyzed by using simple descriptive statistics. For the interviews, thematic analysis was used. Results: More than half of the respondents to the survey (n=197) were below 40 years (57.9%), never married (53.8%) and had post high school study (57.9%). All were men. Only 16.6% of them were diagnosed for ED, and 58.4% had used sildenafil before. The main reason for buying sildenafil was experimentation (46.9%). According to interviewees sildenafil citrate was found being dispensed without prescription due to unhealthy competition among medicine retail outlets and clinics. Dispensing the medicine without adequate counseling and provision of information was also reported. Conclusion: Respondents of all age groups were found using sildenafil citrate mainly without confirming the appropriateness of the etiologic conditions. Selling sildenafil without a prescription seems to be a common practice in pharmacies in Addis Ababa. Strengthening the regulatory activity is crucial to ensure that customers are protected from unprecedented health risk in the dispensing of medicines.

Biography :

Email: dawit.teshome@aau.edu.et