Does Drug-drug Interactions Attain Enough Attention from Health Care Providers?

Abstract

Every year many patients are affected by adverse drug events that result from the complication of drug therapy. Drug-Drug Interactions (DDIs) are an expected subtype of adverse drug events. Most potential DDIs are preventable, but it remains a significant problem to patients and the health care system. Among the risk factors associated to DDIs include older age, comorbidities, polypharmacy and hospital stay for long time. DDIs are a considerable clinical problem in the hospitalized cardiac patients, cancer patients, hypertensive patients, and patients with immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Best management of DDIs involves the assessment of the interaction; decision to prescribe, dispense, or manage the interacting combination; follow-up monitoring and suitable patient counseling. Different studies were performed to detect and avoid DDIs. Different strategies have been introduced to reduce and prevent the risk of DDIs through the improvement of labeling on metabolic profile for new drugs and serious drug-drug and drug -gene combination, determination the effect of new guideline on product labeling changes for elderly patient and patients with polypharmacy. In clinical practice pharmacist can use good information sources; clinicians can use screening software for the detection and management of DDIs; consumers and patients can use decision support systems for potential DDIs and medication reconciliation should be considered by healthcare professionals to reduce medication error.