Prevalence of Atypical Antipsychotics ADR among all Psychotic Patients Attending Outpatient Department Service in St. Mary Neuropsychiatry Hospital, Eritrea, Africa

Objectives: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to psychotropic agents are common and can lead to noncompliance or even discontinuation of therapy. There is paucity of such data in the Eritrean context. We deemed it worthwhile to assess the suspected ADR profile of psychotropic drugs in an ambulatory setting in St. Marys Neuro Psychiatric Hospital. Materials and Methods: An observational study was conducted in the outpatient department (OPD) of the concerned psychiatry unit. Irrespective of their psychiatric diagnosis, were screened for suspected ADRs, 5 days in a week. Drugs and system organ class involved in ADRs were coded according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System and World Health Organization Adverse Reaction Terminology respectively. Results: A total of 404 patients were monitored, among the 41 patients who were experienced ADR to Antipsychotic medications, 20 (48.7 %) were males and 21 (51.2 %) were females. The average age of the patients who experienced ADR was found to be 29 to 58 years. The maximum numbers of ADRs were documented in the age group of 29 to 38 (34.1 %). The prescribed number of drugs 80.4 % were single drug and 19.55 were two drugs (combination therapy) of Antipsychotics. The most common organ system affected by ADRs was the CNS and peripheral nervous system (48.7 %). Conclusions: This study offers a representative profile of ADRs to be expected in psychiatry out-patients in an Eritrean National Referral Hospital. Establishment of a psychotropic drug ADR database can be a worthy long-term goal in the Eritrean context.