Original Research
Assessment of community knowledge and awareness about ranitidine recall: a cross-sectional study
Nesren A. Jaaida, Fayza R. Neser, Einas R. Ibramin
Abstract :
In April 2020, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested immediate withdrawal of all prescription and over the counter ranitidine products. Ranitidine recalled due to the presence of unacceptable level of carcinogenic substance N-nitosodimethylamine (NDMA). Several pharmaceutical manufacturers have issued ranitidine product recalls including brand and generic ranitidine. FDA alerts patients to stop using ranitidine and advised to talk with their health care professional about alternative treatments. In Libya, limited studies have been conducted to address people awareness and knowledge in this regard. The objective of this study was to assess people's awareness and behavior towards ranitidine recall and related issues. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zawia city for two months. Online questionnaire was distributed to 300 participants. Descriptive statistics analysis using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 was used. The study found that more than half of the participants and their family member were likely to utilize ranitidine inappropriately. They seem to consume ranitidine more often without medical consultation. The findings also showed that 82.5% of the participants that were using ranitidine obtained the drug from pharmacies after the date of announcing ranitidine withdrawal from the market by FDA. Furthermore, the vast majority of the participants were poorly informed or even they had no information about ranitidine toxicity and their perception of the dangers of continue use of this drug is limited. The participants argued that pharmacists do not provide slightly information about dispensed ranitidine. In conclusion, all results reported as benefits of the participants in the study whereas the participant's perception and awareness increased when a brief notification regarding the reason of ranitidine toxicity was provided.