Retrospective Review on Drug–Drug Interactions of Prescription Medicines among Elderly Patients in Luzon
Keywords:
Clinical Pharmacology, Elderly Patient, Drug Interaction, Community Pharmacy, Retrospective, Luzon, PhilippinesAbstract
Background: Drug–drug interactions are one of the primary contributors to adverse drug reactions that put elderly patients at risk of complications. Objectives: Evaluating the potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) among the prescriptions of elderly patients in community pharmacies in Luzon, particularly in Makati City, Bulacan, and La Union.
Methods: The research method employed in this study is a quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental design with a retrospective, cross-sectional research approach. It used prescriptions recorded from the senior citizen record books of community pharmacies. The prescriptions were screened. Obtaining only the data needed, such as the generic name, brand name, and strength. Lexicomp Interact® was used to identify potential DDIs and was classified based on severity (minor, moderate, and significant).
Results: The prevalence of DDIs was found to be 50.81%. A total of 334 DDIs were observed in the study. The five most common interacting pairs were Atorvastatin-Amlodipine 5.41% (n=19), Gliclazide-Metformin 2.56% (n=9), Clopidogrel-Atorvastatin 2.28% (n=8), Aspirin-Clopidogrel, and Clopidogrel-Amlodipine were both 1.17% (n=6). 73.50% of DDIs found were moderate severity (n=258), 17.90% minor (n=63), and 8.50% major (n=30). Amlodipine (14.53%) was the most commonly involved drug in DDIs, followed by Atorvastatin (11.97%), Clopidogrel (11.40%), and Gliclazide (9.97%). This study showed a significant number of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) among the medications purchased by the elderly patients at selected community pharmacies of Luzon.
Conclusion: This study revealed a significant number of pDDIs among the medications purchased by elderly patients at selected community pharmacies in Luzon. Moderate interactions were the most prevalent type of drug interactions detected, followed by minor and significant interactions, which occurred less frequently among elderly patients' prescriptions. In the Philippines, community pharmacists' practice is suboptimal, particularly when it comes to monitoring potential DDIs.
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