Risk Of Potential Drug-drug Interactions Research Articles

Evaluation of potential drug-drug interactions in cancer patients at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.

Despite harboring a high burden of cancer patients who are at high risk of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), there is scarcity of published information about pDDIs in cancer patients from Pakistan. To evaluate frequency, pattern, mechanism and factors associated with pDDIs in cancer patients treated at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. In this cross-sectional analytical study, a total of 253 eligible ambulatory cancer patients treated at Center for Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy Hospital Quetta were evaluated for pDDIs using IBM Micromedex® Drug Interactions. SPSS (version 26) was used for conducting multivariate analysis to find factors associated with the presence pDDIs. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 141/253 (55.7%) patients were exposed to at-least one pDDI. A total of 251 pDDIs were noted with a median of one pDDI/per patient (interquartile range:1-2) Majority interactions were of major severity (72.9%), pharmacodynamic (49.8%) and had fair documentation level (64.1%). Anti-cancer drugs were involved in 73.0% pDDIs with doxorubicin as the most commonly involved (40.0%) anti-cancer followed by cyclophosphamide (27.6%) and cisplatin (13.5%). Potential cardiac adverse events made the bulk (33.8%) of predicted events. Receiving >2 anti-cancer (OR = 5.19, p-value = 0.001) and >6 ancillary drugs (OR = 4.16, p-value = 0.033) emerged as the risk factors of pDDIs. The prevalence of pDDIs was within the range reported in published literature. Solid medication review, availability of DDI detecting tools and clinical pharmacist, and paying special attention to the high-risk patients may reduce the frequency of pDDIs at the study site.

Assessment of Potential Drug-drug Interactions among Ischaemic Stroke Patients in a Charitable Hospital

Introduction: Incidence of stroke is more frequently found among the elderly who are mostly dealing with co-morbidities and polypharmacy, were found to be significant in high risk of potential Drug-drug Interactions (pDDIs). Aim: To identify potential drug-drug interactions in ischaemic stroke patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the General Medicine Department at Justice KS Hegde Charitable Hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India, from January 2018 to August 2020. All the stroke patient’s data were collected based on the inclusion criterion. Prescriptions were obtained from the case sheets and the pDDIs were identified using UpToDate software. Results: The mean age of the study population (N=350) was found to be 61.07±11.460 years, The incidence of stroke was high in males (66%) than in females (34%) from the total of 350 patients. The prescribing patterns were antiplatelet single (69.4%) and fixed-dose combination (1.42%), anticoagulants (11.14%), antihypertensive agents (63.42%), followed by lipidlowering agents (65.14%) as single and fixed dose combinations (0.85%), gastrointestinal agents (70.57%). The class prescribed the most was antiplatelet agents (aspirin 61.4%). The total number of 402 pDDIs were found among 350 patients. Based on the Lexi-Interact® severity scale moderate interactions were the most commonly found then followed by the major and minor with 301 (74.87%), 66 (16.41%) and 35 (8.70%) respectively. The most frequent interaction found were clopidogrel with pantoprazole, and atorvastatin with clopidogrel with same incidence of in 44 (12.57%) patients. Conclusion: The majority of the interaction was found to be moderate interactions which were followed by major and minor interactions. The pDDIs mostly occurred among the antiplatelet agents, gastro-intestinal agents and antihypertensives.

Prevalence of polypharmacy and risk of potential drug-drug interactions among hospitalized patients with emphasis on the pharmacokinetics.

Both polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), especially those at the pharmacokinetic level, are common in hospitalized patients and are associated with adverse effects and failure of therapy. The aim of the present study is to investigate retrospectively the prevalence of polypharmacy and the risk of potential pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction among hospitalized patients. The medical documentation of hospitalized patients in the unit of internal diseases at the hospital "St Marina" in Varna, Bulgaria for a period of six months (January-July 2016) was retrospectively reviewed. Lexicomp® Drug Interaction software was used for the detection of pDDI. Descriptive statistic and logistic regression were used for data analysis. In this study, 294 patients out of 510 (57%) were selected with polypharmacy. The number of detected potential pharmacokinetic DDIs (pPKDDIs) was only 216 (or 12,4%), but almost 40% of patients with polypharmacy were exposed to at least one pPKDDIs. The most common pPKDDIs occur at the biotransformation level - 78 (36,1%), and the most common enzyme form that is involved in these interactions is cytochrome 3A4 (44 or 20,4%). The number of prescribed medications (>7) was found to increase the possibility of having pDDIs (OR 25.535, 95% CI 12.529 to 52.042; p = <0.001) and pPKDDIs (OR 5.165, 95% CI 3.430 to 7.779; p = <0.001) as well. Caution should be taken in patients taking more than seven drugs and careful assessment of the pPKDDIs should be made. When such interactions are detected, they need to be properly evaluated and managed.

Facilitating primary care non-antiretroviral drug prescribing in people living with HIV: The 'THINK ARV' initiative.

Older people living with HIV (PLWH) have higher rates of multimorbidity, polypharmacy and an associated increased risk of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs). We describe the development, implementation and evaluation of an intervention to increase community prescribers' access to specialist prescribing advice. Phase One: a survey evaluating General Practitioners' (GPs') knowledge of, and confidence detecting DDIs affecting PLWH, was circulated to eight General Practices in one UK city. Phase Two: co-production was used to develop the THINK ARV intervention for prescribers in city-wide General Practices: a dedicated mobile phone and e-mail advice service staffed by HIV specialist pharmacists. Queries were audited for 6months pre- and post-intervention. A user-satisfaction survey was emailed to enquirers. Phase One: 42 GPs responded, of whom 62% requested further support identifying DDIs among PLWH. Phase Two: the number of queries received increased from 25 (6months before 'THINK ARV' launch) to 63 in the following 6months (152% increase). 94% of the queries were specifically about DDIs. Increasing community prescribers' access to specialist telephone and e-mail advice resulted in increased awareness and detection of DDIs. Similar interventions could be embedded within different healthcare settings to optimise medicines and avoid potential patient harm.

Assessment of Interactions of Drugs Prescribed for Pediatric Patients in Bangladesh

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) represent an important clinical problem. During inpatient admissions, infants, children, and adolescents are typically exposed to different medications, increasing their risk of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs). While drug interactions are reported to be common, there are only few publications of the prevalence of such interactions among pediatric patients in Bangladesh. The present study tries to estimates the prevalence and characteristics of pDDI exposure of pediatric patients treated in children’s hospitals. This observational retrospective study was carried out on 155 patients admitted to a children’s hospital located at Dhaka during January 2019 to August 2019. The medications of the patients were analyzed for pDDIs by using Medscape drug interaction checker. The prescriptions were analyzed for demographic characteristics, medical and detailed drug history. Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) were evaluated for total numbers, types and severity of DDIs. Total 155 prescriptions with mean age 2.12±2.08 years were analyzed and a total of 25 pDDIs were recorded. The prevalence of pDDI was 17%, of which 12 (48%) were pharmacodynamic interactions, 10 (40%) were pharmacokinetic interactions and 3 (12%) of unknown mechanism. According to the severity of interaction, 4 (18%) cases were categorized as serious, 15 (55%) cases as moderate and 6 (27%) cases as minor. The occurrence of DDIs were significantly associated (r=0.912, p&lt;0.05) with the number of drugs prescribed. The present study has identified pDDIs and also documented interactions in pediatrics patients. It has highlighted the need for screening prescriptions of pediatric patients for pDDIs and proactive monitoring of patients who have identified risk factors in order to promote detection and prevention of possible adverse drug interactions. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 24(2): 91-98, 2021

MPEG2k-PCLx Polymeric Micelles Influence Pharmacokinetics and Hypoglycemic Efficacy of Metformin through Inhibition of Organic Cation Transporters in Rats.

Increasing evidence has shown that nanocarriers have effects on several efflux drug transporters. To date, little is known about whether influx transporters are also modulated. Herein, we investigated the impact of amphiphilic polymer micelles on the uptake function of organic cation transporters (OCTs) and the influence on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of metformin, a well-characterized substrate of OCTs. Five types of polymeric micelles (mPEG2k-PCL2k, mPEG2k-PCL3.5k, mPEG2k-PCL5k, mPEG2k-PCL7.5k, and mPEG2k-PCL10k) were prepared to evaluate the inhibition of hOCT1-3-overexpressing Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The mPEG2k-PCLx micelles played an inhibitory role above the critical micelle concentration. The inhibitory potency could be ranked as mPEG2k-PCL2k > mPEG2k-PCL3.5k > mPEG2k-PCL5k > mPEG2k-PCL7.5k > mPEG2k-PCL10k, which negatively declined with the increase of molecular weight of the hydrophobic segment. The inhibitory effects of polymeric micelles on the hOCT1 isoform were the most pronounced, with the lowest IC50 values ranging from 0.106 to 0.280 mg/mL. The mPEG2k-PCL2k micelles distinctly increased the plasma concentration of metformin and significantly decreased Vss by 35.6% (p < 0.05) after seven consecutive treatments in rats, which was interrelated with the restrained metformin distribution in the liver and kidney. The uptake inhibition of micelles on hepatic and renal rOcts also diminished the glucose-lowering effect of metformin and fasting insulin levels in the oral glucose tolerance test. Consistent with the inhibitory effects, the mRNA and protein levels of rOct1 and rOct2 were decreased in the liver, kidney, and small intestine. The present study demonstrated that mPEG2k-PCLx micelles could inhibit the transport function of OCTs, indicating a potential risk of drug-drug interactions during concomitant medication of nanomedicine with organic cationic drugs.

The Risk of Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in Patients Treated for SARS-CoV-2

Drugs with a high incidence of pDDI used in the treatment of COVID 19 should be evaluated and reviewed by the clinical pharmacist in order to establish recommendations to reduce drug-related problems associated with pDDI, to the extent of as possible.

Polypharmacy and severe potential drug-drug interactions among older adults with cardiovascular disease in the United States

BackgroundPolypharmacy continues to be a topic of concern among older adults and puts patients at increased risk of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and negative health outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy among older adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to identify severe potential DDIs.MethodsA retrospective chart review was conducted in a tertiary care center over a three-month period where we reviewed home medications of older adults upon hospital admission. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 65 years, history of CVD, and admission to the cardiology service. Polypharmacy was defined as 5 or more medications taken concomitantly, hyper-polypharmacy was defined as 10 or more medications taken concomitantly, and severe potential DDIs were considered to be those belonging to category D or X using Lexicomp® Drug Information Handbook. Category D interaction states that modification of therapy should be considered while category X states that the combination should be absolutely avoided.ResultsA total of 404 patients with a mean age of 76.6 ± 7.4 years were included. Patients were taking an average of 11.6 ± 4.5 medications at home and 385 (95%) received polypharmacy, 278 (69%) received hyper-polypharmacy, and 313 (77.5%) had at least one severe potential DDI. Under category D, the most common potential DDIs were drugs with additive central nervous system (CNS) depressant effect and drugs that increase the risk of QT prolongation. Under category X, the most common potential DDIs were non-selective β-blockers that may diminish the bronchodilator effect of β2 agonists and drugs with anticholinergic properties that enhance the ulcerogenic effect of oral solid potassium.ConclusionsPolypharmacy, hyper-polypharmacy, and severe potential DDIs are very common in older adults with CVD. Clinicians should vigilantly review patients’ drug records and adjust therapy accordingly to prevent adverse drug reactions and negative health outcomes.

Higher plasma drug levels in elderly people living with HIV treated with darunavir.

BackgroundThe proportion of elderly people living with HIV-1 (PLHIV) is rising. In older patients, comorbidities and concomitant medications are more frequent, increasing the risk of potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs). Data on the pharmacokinetics of ART in individuals aged ≥ 65 years of age are scarce. We compared plasma drug levels of ART, PDDIs, and side-effects in PLHIV aged ≥ 65 years of age, with controls ≤ 49 years of age.MethodsPatients ≥ 65 years of age and controls ≤ 49 years of age, all of whom were on stable treatment with atazanavir (ATV), darunavir (DRV), or efavirenz (EFV) were included cross-sectionally. Plasma drug levels of ART were analyzed, comorbidities, concomitant medication, adherence, and side-effects recorded, and PDDIs analyzed using drug interactions databases.ResultsBetween 2013 and 2015, we included 100 individuals ≥ 65 years of age (study group) and 99 controls (≤ 49 years of age). Steady-state DRV concentrations were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p = 0.047). In the ATV group there was a trend towards a significant difference (p = 0.056). No significant differences were found in the EFV arm. The DRV arm had a higher frequency of reported side-effects than the ATV and EFV arms in the study group (36.7% vs. 0% and 23.8% respectively (p = 0.014), with significant differences between DRV vs. ATV, and EFV vs. ATV).ConclusionsHigher steady-state plasma levels of DRV and ATV (but not EFV) were found in PLHIV aged ≥ 65 years of age, compared to controls ≤ 49 years of age.

Drug-Drug Interactions and Prescription Appropriateness in Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Analysis from a Reference Hospital in Northern Italy.

BackgroundPatients hospitalised with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19)] infection are frequently older with co-morbidities and receiving polypharmacy, all of which are known risk factors for drug–drug interactions (DDIs). The pharmacological burden may be further aggravated by the addition of treatments for COVID-19.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the risk of potential DDIs upon admission and during hospitalisation in patients with COVID-19 treated at our hospital.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed 502 patients with COVID-19 (mean age 61 ± 16 years, range 15–99) treated at our hospital with a proven diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalised between 21 February and 30 April 2020 and treated with at least two drugs.ResultsOverall, 68% of our patients with COVID-19 were exposed to at least one potential DDI, and 55% were exposed to at least one potentially severe DDI. The proportion of patients experiencing potentially severe DDIs increased from 22% upon admission to 80% during hospitalisation. Furosemide, amiodarone and quetiapine were the main drivers of potentially severe DDIs upon admission, and hydroxychloroquine and particularly lopinavir/ritonavir were the main drivers during hospitalisation. The majority of potentially severe DDIs carried an increased risk of cardiotoxicity. No potentially severe DDIs were identified in relation to tocilizumab and remdesivir.ConclusionsAmong hospitalised patients with COVID-19, concomitant treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine led to a dramatic increase in the number of potentially severe DDIs. Given the high risk of cardiotoxicity and the scant and conflicting data concerning their efficacy in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection, the use of lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine in patients with COVID-19 with polypharmacy needs to be carefully considered.

Drug safety in hospitalized patients with tuberculosis: Drug interactions and adverse drug effects.

Hospitalized patients with tuberculosis (TB) are prescribed with drugs having high risk of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) and adverse drug effects (ADEs). To explore the adverse effects of anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drugs and the prevalence and predictors of pDDIs in hospitalized patients with TB. Clinical profiles of 436TB patients were reviewed for adverse effects induced by anti-TB drugs and screened for pDDIs using Micromedex-DrugReax. Prevalence and severity levels of pDDIs were reported. Odds ratios for predictors were calculated using logistic regression analysis. Of total 436 patients, adverse effects of anti-TB drugs were found in 36%. ADEs were highly prevalent in patients with high doses of anti-TB drugs. Hepatotoxicity, neuropathy, insomnia, arthralgia, psychosis, hematological alterations, skin rashes, red color stool, diplopia, and photophobia were the identified ADEs. All drugs types- and anti-TB drugs-pDDIs were reported in 78.2% and 55.7%, respectively. Major-pDDIs of anti-TB drugs were identified in 55.5%. Total 1090 anti-TB drugs pDDIs were found, among them, 55.6% were of major- and 40.5% were of moderate-severity. Significant association was observed for the pDDIs with≥7 prescribed medicines (P<0.001). Potential adverse outcomes of the most frequent interactions were hepatotoxicity, decreased drug's effectiveness, QT-interval prolongation, nephrotoxicity, and gastrointestinal ulceration. Patients with TB present with a considerable number of clinically important pDDIs and ADEs (particularly hepatotoxicity). TB patients should be monitored for adverse effects of anti-TB drugs. Attention should be given to major-pDDIs. Patients more at risk to interactions should be identified and monitored for related adverse outcomes.

Potential risk of drug-drug interactions with hormonal contraceptives and antiretrovirals: prevalence in women living with HIV.

BackgroundFamily planning services are vital for women living with HIV (WLH); however, the use of concomitant antiretroviral therapy (ART) and hormonal contraceptives (HCs) may pose challenges due to the risk of potential drug–drug interactions (DDIs). The objectives of this study were to assess ART and HC use among WLH and quantify the frequency of potential DDIs between ART and HCs.MethodsThis was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of WLH aged 18–55 years, prescribed ART, with at least one clinic visit from January 1, 2010 to April 30, 2014. Potential DDIs between HCs and ART were assessed using the University of Liverpool HIV Drug Interactions website (www.hiv-druginteractions.org) and categorized as ‘weak potential interaction,’ ‘potential interaction,’ or ‘do not co-administer.’ResultsOverall, a contraceptive method was reported in 167 (54%) of the 309 women included in the study. Of those using contraception, 73 (43.7%) reported using HCs, which was most frequently a progestin intrauterine device (n=43), progestin injection (n=17), or combination oral contraceptive pills (n=9). Out of a total of 449 ART regimens, a potential DDI was identified in 21 of 115 (18.3%) ART–HC combinations from 19 women using ART and HCs. Atazanavir/ritonavir was the most common potentially interacting ART (10, 47.6%); for HCs, these were combination oral contraceptive pills (16, 76.2%) and progestin implants (2, 9.5%).ConclusionIn this cohort, one-quarter of WLH on ART–HCs had a potential DDI. Future studies should investigate the impact of DDIs on unintended pregnancies, the side effects of DDIs, and the effects of HC DDIs on ART concentrations.

Analysis of comorbidity and polypharmacy in middle-aged and elderly patients

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of comorbidities and polypharmacy in middle-aged and elderly patients and assess the potential risk of drug-drug interactions. Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out among the outpatients aged ≥45 years in the Second Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January to December 2016. The patient's comorbidities and polypharmacy were collected from the electronic medical records and annual physical examination reports. The frequency and grade of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) were summarized and ranked by Lexicomp(®) Drug Interactions database. Results: A total of 1 340 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 930 patients (69.40%) used 5 or more drugs, and 660 patients (49.25%) used 10 or more drugs. Multivariate analysis showed that age and the number of comorbidities were independent factors of excessive polypharmacy. The total frequency of detecting clinically significant DDIs (C+D+X) was 857 cases, with 0.8 cases per person by Lexicomp(®) Drug Interactions database. Among them, medications for nervous system accounted for the highest proportion of X-level DDIs. Conclusions: The comorbidities and polypharmacy in middle-aged and elderly patients are very prominent. More attention should be paid to drug interactions, especially in patients with neurological medication.

The Risk of Drug-Drug Interactions with Paracetamol in a Population of Hospitalized Geriatric Patients.

Aims This study investigates the consumption of paracetamol and the risk of potential drug-drug interactions and assesses the clinical impact hereof in patients admitted to a department of geriatric medicine. Methods A retrospective and longitudinal study was conducted in patients who had been receiving paracetamol upon or during hospitalization. The hospital files of the included patients were reviewed, including documentation of concomitant medications, diagnoses, biochemical values, and adverse incidents during admission. These parameters were used as a clinical follow-up when assessing a clinical probability impact of the identified drug-drug interactions. Results In total, 104 patients were admitted during the study period. 91 (87.5%) of these (mean age 86 years) received a prescription or were treated with paracetamol. Of these, 10% were evaluated as being at risk of potential drug-drug interactions with paracetamol. Seven of the potential drug-drug interactions were related to treatments with warfarin, one with valsartan and one with phenytoin. Of the nine patients at risk, six did experience either abnormal biochemical values or potential related clinical incidents. Four patients experienced increased INR (range 3.2–4.6), of which one patient suffered from anaemia and one with hematemesis. Two patients experienced increased ALAT/ASAT (55/42 U/I and 87/51 U/I, both females). One experienced hypertension. Conclusion A large majority of the patients in this study received treatment with paracetamol. Six patients were evaluated as having abnormal biochemical values or were experiencing clinical incidents during their hospitalization potentially related to the identified potential drug-drug interactions.

Prevalence, predictors and outcomes of potential drug-drug interactions in left ventricular failure: considerable factors for quality use of medicines

Hospitalized patients with left ventricular failure (LVF) are at high risk for potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) and its related adverse effects owing to multiple risk factors such as old age, comorbidities and polypharmacy. This cross-sectional study conducted in two tertiary care hospitals aim to identify frequency, levels and predictors of pDDIs in LVF patients. Data about patients’ demographic, hospital stay, medication therapy, sign/symptoms and laboratory test results were collected for 385 patients with LVF. Micromedex Drug-Reax® was used to screen patients’ medication profiles for pDDIs. Overall prevalence and severity-wise prevalence of pDDIs were identified. Chi-square test was performed for comparative analysis of various variables. Logistic regression was applied to determine the odds-ratios (OR) for predictors of pDDIs. The prevalence of pDDIs was 96.4% (n=371). Overall 335 drug-interacting pairs were detected, which were presented in a total of 2870 pDDIs. Majority of pDDIs were of major- (48.9%) and moderate-severity (47.5%). Logistic regression analysis shows significant association of >6 all types of pDDIs with >12 drugs as compared with <8 drugs (OR=16.5; p=<0.001). Likewise, there was a significant association of >4 major-pDDIs with men as compared with female (OR=1.9; p=0.007) and >12 drugs as compared with <8 drugs (OR=10.9; p=<0.001). Hypotension (n=57), impaired renal function (23) and increased blood pressure (22) were the most frequent adverse outcomes associated with pDDIs. This study shows high prevalence of pDDIs in LVF patients. Majority of pDDIs were of major- and moderate-severity. Male patients and those prescribed greater number of medicines were more exposed to major-pDDIs.

Survey on Polypharmacy and Drug-Drug Interactions Among Elderly People with Cardiovascular Diseases at Yekatit 12 Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BackgroundElderly people are most commonly associated with cardiac disease. Cardiovascular diseases are interlinked with co-morbidities which require multiple drug therapy in addition to cardiovascular drugs. This results to polypharmacy which carries a high risk of potential drug-drug interactions. Elderly patients are at a particular risk of drug related problems because of increased level of polypharmacy and the physiological changes which accompany aging. This study was aimed to assess polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) among elderly people with cardiovascular diseases at Yekatit 12 hospital.MethodologyA retrospective cross-sectional study using patients chart review was conducted on all elderly people with cardiovascular diseases at Yekatit 12 hospital in the period between March 2018 and March 2019. The types, seriousness and level of potential DDIs were checked using Medscape online drug interaction checker.ResultsThe mean number of drugs per prescription was 4.25 ± 1.754 and the prevalence of polypharmacy (concurrent use of 5 and more drugs) was 42.7%. Polypharmacy and potential DDIs were significantly associated with polymorbidity (P = 0.000), being hospitalized (P = 0.047) and congestive heart failure (P = 0.016). A total of 850-potential DDIs were identified, the mean number of potential DDIs was 3.37 per prescription. The potential DDIs were mainly significant (73.29%) in nature and pharmacodynamics (73.06%) in mechanism. The prevalence of total and serious potential DDIs were 84.3% and 17.3%, respectively. Most commonly interacting drug combination was aspirin + enalapril (30.2%).ConclusionA higher incidence of polypharmacy and increased risk of potential DDIs in elderly people with cardiovascular disease are major therapeutic issues at Yekatit 12 hospital.

Nationwide prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions associated with non-anticancer agents in patients on oral anticancer agents in South Korea.

We analyzed the prevalence and severity of potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) in Korean patients receiving oral anticancer agents (OAAs) during two different periods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the national insurance reimbursement database. The subjects were adult outpatients diagnosed with cancer and prescribed OAAs at least once in 2010 or 2014. PDDIs were identified using a database and the PDDI severity was categorized as category X (contraindications) or D (consideration of therapy modification). The associated factors for the occurrence of PDDIs were also analyzed. Among the 118,258 patients prescribed OAAs in 2014, approximately 59% were middle-aged, and approximately half were diagnosed with breast cancer. The number of comorbidities increased over time, and majority were diagnosed with gastrointestinal disorders, hyperlipidemia, and psychonervous disorders. The PDDIs due to protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs) with gastrointestinal/metabolic and neurological drugs increased 3.1- and 4.9-fold, respectively, over the 5years, and 24.0% of the PDDIs fell into category X. Tamoxifen, the most commonly prescribed OAAs, caused the PDDIs with antidepressants through QTc prolongation or pharmacokinetic interaction. The PKIs prescription, cancer type like breast or hematologic cancer, and number of comorbidities or co-prescribing drugs were independently associated with the occurrence of PDDIs. The risk of PDDIs in patients receiving OAAs increases, particularly with the concomitant use of PKIs with gastrointestinal or psychiatric drugs and endocrine agents with antidepressants. Considering the potential risk of chronic concomitant use of these drug classes in outpatients, healthcare professionals should be made aware of the potential interactions.

The role of the clinical pharmacist in the prevention of potential drug interactions in geriatric heart failure patients.

Background The treatment of heart failure patients is very complex and includes lifestyle modification as well as different pharmacological therapies. Polypharmacy is very common in such patients and they are at increased risk of potential drug-drug interactions and associated effects such as poor adherence, compliance and adverse events. Objective The aim of the present study is to investigate retrospectively the prescribed pharmacotherapy of the hospital discharged heart failure patients for possible drug interactions. Settings Clinic for Cardiology of the "Saint Marina" University Hospital in Varna, Bulgaria. Method Lexicomp® Drug interaction software was used for screening potential drug-drug interactions. Logistic regression was applied to determine the odds ratio for the association between the age and number of drugs taken and the number of potential drug-drug interactions. Main outcome measure Incidence and type of pDDIs in geriatric heart failure patients. Results A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of 248 selected heart failure patients for the prescribed medicines for a 1-year period (January 2015-December 2015). The total number of potential drug-drug interactions was 1532, or approximately 6.28 (± 4.72 SD) per one person. The range of prescribed drugs was between three and fourteen, 92% of them have been taking more than five medicines, an average of 7.12 (± 2.07 SD) per patient. The average age was 72.35 (± 10.16 SD). The results have shown stronger association between the number of drugs taken (more than 7) and the occurrence of potential drug-drug interactions (more than 10)-37.84 (95% CI 9.012-158.896, P ≤ 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found between age and occurrence of potential drug-drug interactions (more than 10)-1.008 (95% CI 0.441-2.308, P = 0.848). Conclusion The incidence of drug-drug interactions in heart failure patients is high. The clinical pharmacist, as a part of the multidisciplinary team, could reduce medication-related problems, such as drug interactions, and to optimize drug therapy by checking the treatment prescribed at the discharge of these patients.

Evaluation of Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in Adults in the Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There is an increased risk of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in critically ill patients based on the number of drugs received. The occurrence of pDDIs and clinical significance is not well described. The aim was to provide insight into important clinical issues and offer guidance on drug-drug interaction (DDI) surveillance through the performance of a systematic review. Five targeted objectives were developed, a priori, which guided study selection and data abstraction. Two independent reviewers extracted the definition, frequency, type, and clinical significance of pDDIs. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the proportion of patients exposed to a pDDI. Three data sources (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) were utilized for the search to include studies that evaluated pDDIs in adult critically ill patients. Included studies in the systematic review and meta-analysis were required to be full text. A total of 39 studies met inclusion criteria. Definitions of pDDIs were diverse. Frequency of pDDIs varied by study, but was most commonly between one and five pDDIs per patient. Fifty-eight percent of patients were exposed to at least one pDDI during their intensive care unit admission. Types of pDDIs identified were numerous, with aspirin being the most common drug involved. As expected, not all pDDIs were clinically significant. Clinical significance was determined by varied definitions and sources. Improving the understanding of clinically significant pDDIs and alerts that clinicians encounter may guide better development of surveillance through clinical decision support and decrease alert fatigue.

The Prevalence of the Potential Drug-Drug Interactions Involving Anticancer Drugs in China: A Retrospective Study

To survey the prevalence of potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between anticancer drugs and non-anticancer drugs and evaluate the risk factors associated with these drug-drug interactions in China. All discharged patients in the Department of Oncology were collected from Jun to Dec in 2016 with the Hospital Information System of the Chinese people's Liberation Army General Hospital. Drugs were screened for interactions by Micromedex solutions database. Descriptive statistics were generated and logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors. Among 6578 eligible patients, 1979 potential drug interactions were found in 1830 patients (27.82%). The most common drug-drug interaction was cisplatin and furosemide. Erlotinib was most likely to interact with various non-anticancer drugs. Most interactions were classified as pharmacodynamics (71.60%), major severity (97.02%) and were supported by fair documentation evidence (86.21%). In multivariate analysis, increasing number of medications, lung cancer and patients with stage IV had a higher risk for potential drug-drug interactions. Potential drug-drug interactions between antineoplastic drugs and non-antineoplastic drugs occur frequently in cancer patients of Chinese hospitals. Doctors should fully consider potential risk associated with DDIs. Further research should be performed to evaluate real clinical significance of these drug-drug interactions.