THE ROLE OF PHARMACISTS IN THE RECRUITMENT OF A COHORT FOR POSTMARKETING SURVEILLANCE - A CASE-STUDY OF ACITRETIN IN THE NETHERLANDS

In October 1990, a recall procedure was issued regarding the drug acit retin. The recommended post-therapy contraception period alter acitret in therapy was extended from 2 months to 2 years. For a postmarketing sun/eillance study, we recruited a cohort from the source population o f women aged 15-45 years who were exposed to acitretin. Recruitment oc curred through dermatologists, and pharmacists plus dispensing general practitioners. We describe the spe@d of and the response to the recru itment procedures, and the representativeness of the recruited cohort. We also studied whether the individuals who gave informed consent wou ld have preferred to be recruited by either dermatologists or pharmaci sts, and whether the information obtained from pharmacists and dispens ing general practitioners was valid. This study revealed that pharmaci sts and dispensing general practitioners (drug dispensers) recruited t heir subjects rapidly, with no or little selection; they attained a 42 % response. Dermatologists recruited their subjects slowly and selecti vely; they attained a 24% response. The majority of women (60%) recrui ted by dermatologists would have given their informed consent if they would have been recruited by their pharmacists. Drug dispensers are es sential contributors to the recruitment of a study population. We do a dvise that such recruitment for a postmarketing surveillance study occ urs by means of a collaboration between pharmacists and physicians.