Possibility of Drug-Drug Interaction in Prescription Dispensed by Community and Hospital Pharmacy

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the use of all subsidized prescription drugs including their use of drug com-bination generally accepted as carrying a risk of severe interactions. Methodology: In a cross sec-tional study, we analyzed all prescriptions (n = 1014) involving two or more drugs dispensed to the population (age range 4 -85 years) from all pharmacies, clinics and hospitals. Data were stra-tified by age and sex, and frequency of common interacting drugs. Potential drug interactions were classified according to clinical relevance as significance of severity (types A: major, B: mod-erate, and C: minor) and documented evidence (types 1, 2, 3, and 4). Result and Discussion: The growing use of pharmacological agents means that drug interactions are of increasing interest for public health. Monitoring of potential drug interactions may improve the quality of drug pre-scribing and dispensing, and it might form a basis for education focused on appropriate prescrib-ing. To make the manifestation of adverse interaction subside, management strategies must be exercised if two interacting drugs have to be taken with each other, involving: adjusting the dose of the object drug; spacing dosing times to avoid the interaction. The pharmacist, along with the prescriber has a duty to ensure that patients are aware of the risk of side effects and a suitable course of action they should take. Conclusion: It is unrealistic to expect clinicians to memorize the thousands of drug-drug interactions and their clinical significance, especially considering the rate of introduction of novel drugs and the escalating appreciation of the importance of pharmacoge-nomics. Reliable regularly updated decision support systems and information technology are ne-cessary to help avert dangerous drug combinations.