Email this article Study of potential drug interactions between prescribed drugs in geriatric patients attending outpatient department in a government tertiary care hospital in Maharashtra
Abstract
Background: A drug interaction is defined as a modification of the effect of a drug when it is administered with other drugs. Geriatric population is exposed to multiple drugs and consequently suffers many drug interactions (DIs). The objective of this study was to assess the potential drug interactions (PDI) in the geriatric population attending out-patient department (OPD) in a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: A cross sectional observational study was carried out from July to September 2015. Patients of either gender, age 60 years or more, attending OPD in tertiary care hospital and prescribed two or more drugs, were included in the study. Prescriptions of medical officers were screened for PDIs with Medscape drug interaction software available on the website www.medscape.com.
Results: In the present study, out of 600 prescriptions, 48.50% were identified having at least one drug interaction. Total 584 PDIs were found in 111 drug pairs. 29.62% PDIs were pharmacodynamic, 42.80% pharmacokinetic type and 10.78% PDIs were found affecting serum potassium level. Majority of PDIs (61.81%) were found significant followed by minor (36.98%) and severe (1.19%). Ranitidine and cyanocobalamin was the most common pair showing PDI (105) followed by aspirin and enalapril (44). Aspirin was found to be the most common single drug amongst pairs to cause PDI in the present study.
Conclusions: In the present study, PDIs were studied in geriatric population. Knowledge of the prevalence and predictors of clinically important PDIs will help physicians and pharmacists identify patients at higher risk of adverse drug interactions requiring more cautious pharmacotherapy.
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