Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) constitute a significant global healthcare challenge associated with increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs; however, there are concerns that ADRs are grossly under-reported by different categories of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in many countries. The main objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of ADR reporting of HCPs working at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a self-administered questionnaire-based study conducted among HCPs working in Ekiti State, South-west Nigeria. The questionnaire which was adapted from ones used in similar studies was reviewed for content validity by experts in the field. Healthcare professionals (medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, community health extension workers, and other allied HCPs) working in the 3 tiers of healthcare participated in the study. The questionnaire consisted of sections on the demographics of respondents, their knowledge, attitude and practice of ADR reporting. Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 25) employing t test, ANOVA and chi-square as appropriate with P-value < .05 accepted as being statistically significant. Results: Three hundred HCPs comprising of nurses (112; 37.3%), physicians (75; 25.0%), pharmacists (53; 17.7%), community health extension workers (40; 13.3%) and others (20; 6.7%) completed the questionnaire with 166 (55.3%) of them working in tertiary healthcare facilities. Male respondents (6.3 ± 1.7; P = .003), pharmacists (7.0 ± 1.6; P < .0001), HCPs and those from tertiary centers (6.2 ± 1.7; P = .028) had higher knowledge scores. While 228 (76%) respondents had observed incidents of ADR during their professional practice, only 75 (25%) have ever reported it. Only 113 (37.7%) of respondents had seen the adverse drug reaction reporting form with only 53 (17.7%) ever using it. The reporting methods preferred by respondents were through email/internet (102; 34.0%), phone/SMS (78; 26.0%) and using the hard copy of the forms (95; 31.7%). The attitude of respondents towards ADR reporting was mainly positive. Conclusion: There was significant variation in the knowledge of different categories of HCPs and facility levels about ADR reporting. Encouragingly, the overall attitude of respondents towards ADR reporting was positive. Based on the above, strategies are needed to build capacity of HCPs in the area of on adverse drug reaction and its’ reporting.

Objective: Vigna unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana (L.) Walp is used in traditional practice to treat depression-like disorders in some communities of Southwest Nigeria. This study investigated the antidepressant-like effects of the aqueous fraction of the dried aerial parts of V. unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana (AFVU). Methodology: AFVU was evaluated for antidepressant effect on the force-swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and locomotor activity (LC) in the open field test (OFT) using mice; and its probable neural mechanism(s) investigated using various receptor antagonists. Elemental composition (EC) and phyto-constituents of AFVU were analyzed using standard methods. Results: The AFVU (600 and 800 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p<0.05) decreased the immobility time of mice in FST and TST without significant (p<0.05) effect on LC, suggesting that its antidepressant-like effect is specific; anti-immobility effect of AFVU was significantly (p<0.05) blocked by intraperitoneal injection of prazosin (62.5 µg/kg), yohimbine, (1 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (3 mg/kg), sulpiride (50 mg/kg), methylene blue (10 mg/kg) and L-NNA (10 mg/kg) suggesting adrenergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic and nitergic pathways. The EC assured its safety; while phenols and alkaloids were the most abundant phytoconstituents in AFVU. Conclusion: This study concluded that AFVU possessed antidepressant-like effects which may be mediated through multiple receptor pathways.

Background: The use of drugs with anticholinergic effects among elderly patients is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. There is paucity of information about anticholinergic drug burden among Nigerian elderly population.Objectives: To determine the anticholinergic drug burden among elderly Nigerian patients.Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted among elderly patients (aged 65 and above) who visited the Family Medicine outpatients’ clinics of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria between July 1 and October 31, 2018. Information extracted from the case files included patient’s age, sex, diagnoses, and list of prescribed medications. Medicines with anticholinergic effects were identified and scored using the anticholinergic drug burden calculator (http://www.acbcalc.com).Results: The medical records of 400 patients were analyzed with females accounting for 60.5% of the study population. The mean age of participants was 73 ± 7.4 years with only 28 (7%) of patients having more than two co-morbid conditions. Polypharmacy was identified in 152 (38%) of the patients while 147 (36.7%) had drugs with anticholinergic effects prescribed. The anticholinergic burden was high in 60 (15%) patients. Polypharmacy was significantly associated with having more than two diagnosed conditions and high anticholinergic burden (p value of &lt; 0 .001 and 0.013 respectively). There was significant correlation between total number of prescribed drugs and count of diagnoses (r = 0.598; p &lt; 0 .000) and between total number of prescribed drugs and number of drugs with anticholinergic effects (r = 0 .196; p &lt; 0 .000).Conclusion: The anticholinergic burden in this group of elderly Nigerian patients was low; majority (67%) had no exposure to drugs with anticholinergic effects with only 15% having high anticholinergic burden. Polypharmacy and multiple diagnosed conditions were positively associated with high anticholinergic burden. Based on the positive and significant correlations found in this study, a reduction in the number of prescribed medicines especially those with significant anticholinergic effects used for secondary indications may lessen the anticholinergic burden among the elderly.

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