Drugs are used for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of diseases. However, no drug (prescription drugs inclusive) is entirely free from adverse drug reactions. This study was carried out to investigate the indices of adverse drug reactions as perceived by health workers in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State.

1. INDICES OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS AS
PERCEIVED BY HEALTH WORKERS IN ILORIN SOUTH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KWARA STATE
ADEMOLA, Samson Olayinka
B. Sc. (Ed.) (IFE), 2013
JUNE, 2017

2. INTRODUCTION
A drug is a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure,
prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise
enhance physical or mental wellbeing (FMOH, 2012; Stein,
2016).
Despite the many benefits of drugs, FMOH (2003) asserted
that no drug (prescription drugs inclusive) is entirely free from
adverse drug reactions.
Some illnesses may be drug-induced, and are functional
disturbances caused by drugs, thereby disrupting daily
activities such as presence in school (Tripathi, 2013; Schatz &
Weber, 2015).

3. INTRODUCTION (CONTD.)
Adverse drug reaction is determined as recovery with
disability, if at the time of discharge from the hospital, the
patient had residual physical, psychological, or mental
illness arising from the effect of adverse drug reaction
(Edwards & Aronson, 2000).
Ezeuko, Ebenebe, Nnebue and Ugoji (2015) maintained
that effective drug safety is achievable where a team of
health workers have the right perception towards adverse
drug reactions.

4. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The researcher observed that the people of
Ilorin South Local Government Area use drugs
for one purpose or the other, and so react to
drugs in various ways. Some experience
digestive disturbances, some headache, some
disturbed sleep, some skin rashes, and
breathing problems.
Interaction with some health workers in Ilorin
South Local Government Area revealed that
their hospitals recorded no fewer than twenty
incidence of adverse drug reactions leading to
fever, hepatitis, peptic ulcer and disability
within the space of one month.

5. be perceived indices of adverse drug reactions by health workers in
Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State?
Absence in school
WillIllness
Hospitalizatio
n
Disability

6. Absence in school
Illness
Hospitalizatio
n
Disability
will not significantly be perceived indices of adverse drug reactions by
health workers in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State.

7. Scholarly and technical documents were reviewed
under the following sub-headings:
Conceptual Framework
Theoretical Framework
Concept of Drug
Adverse Drug Reaction
Indices of Adverse Drug Reactions
Health Workers and Adverse Drug Reaction
among others
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

8. Research
Design
Descriptive Research
of Survey Type
Population of the
Study
All health workers in Ilorin
South Local Government
Area=1348
Target population
All doctors, nurses, community
health workers and
pharmacists/pharmacy
technicians in Ilorin South Local
Government Area= 974
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

9. Sample and Sampling Techniques
Simple
Random
Sampling
• 5 out of 11 wards in Ilorin South LGA
Purposiv
e
Sampling
• 3 clinics/hospitals from each of the 5 selected wards in Ilorin South
LGA
Stratifie
d
Samplin
g
• Different professional groups in the target population will be
proportionally selected
Simple
Random
Sampling
• 300 respondents from 974 health workers
A Researcher’s Developed
Questionnaire with Section A
& Section B.
Research Instrument

10. Validityof the Instrument
Reliability of the Instrument
Validatedby 3 Expertsin the
Department of HP&EHE
Procedure for
Data Collection
Methodof Data Analysis
@ IlorinEast LGA;
Split-HalfMethod
of Cronbach Alphayieldedr=0.7
Letter of Intro fromthe HOD;
Approval fromMoH; 2 Research
Assistants Trained
Frequency Count& Percentages,
& Chi-Square

11. Percentage analysis on health workers’ perception of indices of adverse drug reactions
S/N Research Question Positive
Response
Negative
Response
1. Will illness be a perceived index of adverse drug
reactions by health workers in Ilorin South Local
Government Area, Kwara State?
195
(64.9%)
105
(35.1%)
2. Will hospitalization be a perceived index of adverse
drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin South Local
Government Area, Kwara State?
241
(80.3%)
59
(19.7%)
3. Will disability be a perceived index of adverse drug
reactions by health workers in Ilorin South Local
Government Area, Kwara State?
167
(55.6%)
133
(44.4%)
4. Will death be a perceived index of adverse drug
reactions by health workers in Ilorin South Local
Government Area, Kwara State?
177
(59%)
123
(41%)
5. Will absence from school be a perceived index of
adverse drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin
South Local Government Area, Kwara State?
224
(74.7%)
76
(25.3%)

12. Chi-square analysis on health workers’ perception of indices of adverse drug reactions
S/N Research Hypotheses Df Cal. χ2
Val.
χ2Tab.
Val.
Decision
1. Illness will not significantly be a perceived index of
adverse drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin South
Local Government Area, Kwara State
15 101.44 24.99 H0 rejected
2. Hospitalization will not significantly be a perceived index
of adverse drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin
South Local Government Area, Kwara State
9 361.12 16.92 H0 rejected
3. Disability will not significantly be a perceived index of
adverse drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin South
Local Government Area, Kwara State
6 71.73 12.59 H0 rejected
4. Death will not significantly be a perceived index of
adverse drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin South
Local Government Area, Kwara State
9 93.12 16.92 H0 rejected
5. Absence from school will not significantly be a perceived
index of adverse drug reactions by health workers in Ilorin
South Local Government Area, Kwara State
6 243.47 12.59 H0 rejected

13. The perception of illness, hospitalization, disability, death
and absence from school as indices of adverse drug reactions
by health workers who participated in this study could be as
a result of the experience the health workers have garnered
over many years in taking care of patients with adverse drug
reaction issues.
The perception may be because the majority (70.7 per cent)
of the respondents have spent at least five years on the job as
doctor, nurse, community health worker, pharmacist, or
pharmacy technician.

14. Based on the findings of this study, it was
concluded that illness, hospitalization,
disability, death and absence from school
are perceived indices of adverse drug
reactions by health workers in Ilorin
South Local Government Area.

15. Health workers should pay adequate attention to illnesses experienced by patients after the
use of prescribed drugs.
In order to prevent prolonged admission or re-admission in the hospital as a result of
adverse drug reactions, doctors should encourage their patients to share any unexpected
reaction they experienced after the use of drug.
Health educators should sensitize the public about indices of adverse drug reactions such
as illness and disability through organized seminars, pamphlet dissemination and health
counselling.
Doctors should swiftly attend to complaints related to adverse drug reactions by their
patients to forestall the death of the patients.
School administrators should organize health talks to educate the students on adverse drug
reactions.