Nursing and the Spontaneous Notification of Adverse Drug Reactions in Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: Medications can produce adverse reactions that must be reported by health professionals and patients, in order to build the true safety profile of any medication. Nursing achieves a privileged relationship with the patient, which facilitates the identification and reporting about these medications, now with limitations that require actions to improve patient safety.

Objective: To evaluate the spontaneous reporting process for adverse reactions to medications by nursing staffs in Cuba.

Methods: A systematic review was carried out during 2021. Publications in Spanish and English were taken into account, from the SciELO, PubMed and Google Scholar databases, where original articles, books, monographs, theses and legal documents were identified, with emphasis on those published from 2017 to 2021. The guiding question was elaborated through the acronym PICO. The search strategy was performed by accepting Descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS), both in Spanish and English, such as enfermería [nursing], Efectos Colaterales y Reacciones Adversas Relacionados con Medicamentos [Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions] and farmacovigilancia [pharmacovigilance], using the Boolean operators AND and OR, together with the PRISMA flowchart. The content analysis allowed the interpretation of the theoretical references and the organization of the knowledge from the found bibliography.

Conclusions: The notifications of adverse medication reactions made by Cuban nurses are poor. Although their functions are well defined, limitations are identified as part of their training and motivation, which should be eradicated.