Table 4 Preferences of pharmacists and doctors on risk communication (N = 1146)
Preferences | Pharmacists, n (%) | Doctors, n (%) | χ2 | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public sector (n = 526) | Private sector (n = 124) | Public sector (n = 401) | Private sector (n = 95) | |||
Language | ||||||
 English | 438 (83.3) | 120 (96.8) | 334 (83.3) | 89 (93.7) | 0.07 | 0.788 |
 Bahasa Melayu | 88 (16.7) | 4 (3.2) | 67 (16.7) | 6 (6.3) |  |  |
Repeated message | ||||||
 Yes | 508 (96.6) | 117 (94.4) | 388 (96.8) | 92 (96.8) | 0.31 | 0.575 |
Format | ||||||
 Electronic | 383 (72.8) | 94 (75.8) | 242 (60.3) | 60 (63.2) | 29.1 | <  0.001 |
 Hardcopy | 58 (11.0) | 16 (12.9) | 98 (24.4) | 15 (15.8) |  |  |
 No preference | 85 (16.2) | 14 (11.3) | 61 (15.2) | 20 (21.1) |  |  |
Preferred frequency | ||||||
 Immediate update of individual safety issues | 287 (54.6) | 69 (55.6) | 152 (37.9) | 47 (49.5) | 24.2 | <  0.001 |
 Weekly update of all safety issues | 91 (17.3) | 35 (28.2) | 71 (17.7) | 19 (20.0) | 0.28 | 0.595 |
 Monthly update of all safety issues | 250 (47.5) | 50 (40.3) | 191 (47.6) | 43 (45.3) | 0.12 | 0.731 |
 Quarterly update of all safety issues | 47 (8.9) | 4 (3.2) | 75 (18.7) | 15 (15.8) | 27.7 | <  0.001 |
Preferred source | ||||||
 NPRA, Ministry of Health Malaysia | 507 (96.4) | 115 (92.7) | 341 (85.0) | 79 (83.2) | 41.4 | <  0.001 |
 Professional body | 307 (58.4) | 89 (71.8) | 264 (65.8) | 71 (74.7) | 5.33 | 0.021 |
 International regulatory agency | 294 (55.9) | 68 (54.8) | 197 (49.1) | 45 (47.4) | 5.38 | 0.020 |
 Pharmaceutical companies | 236 (44.9) | 70 (56.5) | 125 (31.2) | 44 (46.3) | 19.6 | <  0.001 |
Preferred channel | ||||||
 E-mail | 452 (85.9) | 107 (86.3) | 295 (73.6) | 74 (77.9) | 24.6 | <  0.001 |
 National clinical guidelines | 232 (44.1) | 40 (32.3) | 182 (45.4) | 53 (55.8) | 3.49 | 0.062 |
 Website | 229 (43.5) | 67 (54.0) | 156 (38.9) | 39 (41.1) | 4.45 | 0.035 |
 Product package insert | 268 (51.0) | 52 (41.9) | 101 (25.2) | 29 (30.5) | 62.5 | <  0.001 |
 Mobile phone text | 182 (34.6) | 43 (34.7) | 151 (37.7) | 41 (43.2) | 2.04 | 0.153 |
 Social media | 240 (45.6) | 29 (23.4) | 125 (31.2) | 18 (18.9) | 19.3 | <  0.001 |
 Medical journal | 126 (24.0) | 26 (21.0) | 130 (32.4) | 39 (41.1) | 15.9 | <  0.001 |
 Consumer medication information leaflet | 176 (33.5) | 37 (29.8) | 68 (17.0) | 15 (15.8) | 37.8 | <  0.001 |
Factors which contribute to likelihood of reading safety information | ||||||
 information is relevant for daily practice | 405 (77.0) | 86 (69.4) | 297 (74.1) | 69 (72.6) | 0.46 | 0.500 |
 trust the sender of the safety information | 374 (71.1) | 96 (77.4) | 254 (63.3) | 58 (61.1) | 11.5 | 0.001 |
 the document is not too lengthy | 346 (65.8) | 71 (57.3) | 238 (59.4) | 55 (57.9) | 3.08 | 0.079 |
Factors which contribute to likelihood of taking action in response to safety information | ||||||
 the adverse drug reaction is severe or causes irreversible harm | 410 (77.9) | 93 (75.0) | 312 (77.8) | 73 (76.8) | 0.01 | 0.924 |
 receive sufficient background information | 352 (66.9) | 78 (62.9) | 257 (64.1) | 58 (61.1) | 0.87 | 0.352 |
 recommendations are clear | 344 (65.4) | 65 (52.4) | 249 (62.1) | 54 (56.8) | 0.40 | 0.526 |
 information is relevant for daily practice | 332 (63.1) | 61 (49.2) | 237 (59.1) | 52 (54.7) | 0.56 | 0.453 |
 information is incorporated in clinical or professional society guidelines | 266 (50.6) | 45 (36.3) | 223 (55.6) | 52 (54.7) | 6.50 | 0.011 |