The Pattern of Pharmacovigilance Reports of Antibiotics Submitted to the Iraqi Pharmacovigilance Center before and After Covid-19

Introduction antibiotics had been heavily used in the COVID-19 period naturally leading to increase the occurrence of adverse drug reactions.Objectives To assess the changing reporting pattern 6 months before and after the first case of COVID-19 in Iraq.Methods A retrospective analysis of the data reported to the Iraqi Centre of Pharmacovigilance was conducted to assess if any change in the pattern of the reported antibiotics has occurred among different antibiotics for the period from Sep 2019 till Sep 2020.Descriptive statistics were conducted for data analysis, and the chi-square test has been utilized to assess differences in ADR severity between the comparative groups.Results The majority of patients were aged 18-44, with a slight increase in the 45-64 age group in 2020.A shifted has been seen from ceftriaxone in the first 6 months to azithromycin in the second 6 months.Gastrointestinal disorders emerged as the most common ADR in 2020, while skin and subcutaneous tissue reactions predominated in 2019.A significant increase in serious ADRs was observed in 2020 compared to 2019.Conclusion This study focused the attention on the dynamic nature of antimicrobial use and ADRs profiles.The increased prevalence of serious ADRs 6 months after COVID-19 underlines the need for more governmental and non-governmental support to the Iraqi Centre of Pharmacovigilance to implement antibiotic stewardship programs to minimize the risk of AB ADRs.