Potential for drug interactions involving cytochrome P450 in patients attending palliative day care centres: a multicentre audit

Abstract

To determine the potential for drug interactions involving cytochrome P450 (CYP) in patients receiving palliative day care. Drugs used by patients attending four specialist palliative day care centres were reviewed to identify combinations that could result in a pharmacokinetic interaction via any of the five main human forms of CYP. Of 160 patients, 145 (91%) were prescribed at least one drug that was a substrate, inhibitor or inducer of one of the five main CYP isoforms. Twenty-four drug combinations, involving 34 patients, could have given rise to a clinically important interaction. Prescribers should be aware that in this group of patients, one in five are at risk of a clinically important CYP-mediated drug interaction.