A Study on Detection of Drug-Laboratory interactions in Dermatology, in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: An interaction is alleged to occur once the consequences of one drug is changed by the presence of another drug, herbal medicine, food, drink or by some environmental chemical agents. As per American psychological association drug interaction is defined as chemical or physiological reaction that can occur when two different drugs are taken together. Objective: This study was conducted for the detection of various drug interactions in dermatology in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods: An observational, prospective study was conducted for a period of six months (July 2017 to December 2017) among 108 patients in dermatology department of Santhiram Medical College and General Hospital, Nandyal. Results: A total of 108 patients were included in the study. Among them, 63 (58.3%) were males and 45(41.7%) were females. Of total 108 prescriptions, sever drug-drug interactions were present in 42 (38.9 %) prescriptions. Whereas, moderate drug-drug interactions were found in 14 (13%) and 52 prescriptions doesn’t have drug-drug interactions respectively. The study found the associations of potential drug interactions with age, sex, number of drugs per prescription. There was a direct link between polypharmacy and occurrence of drug interactions. To lower the frequency of potential interactions it could be necessary to make a careful selection of therapeutic alternatives, and in cases without other options, patients should be continuously monitored to identify adverse events. Conclusion: we concluded that educational interventions can minimize the incidence of drug interactions.