Out-patients Prescriptions are Safe from Drug Interactions or Not: A Pilot Study Report

The objective of the research work was to analysis the out patients drug interactions and alerts the healthcare professionals to prevent the future complications. The study was done in three pharmacies within a 200 meters distance of each other. The doctors involved were made aware of the study but data were collected without their knowledge. All prescriptions presented to the three pharmacies were analyzed during the five-month study period. A total of 500 prescriptions were analyzed and 64 drug-drug interactions were detected giving a drug-drug interaction rate of 12.8 percent but 436 (87.2%) prescriptions are free from drug interactions. Moderate drug interactions were found in 10.2%, Severe were 2.6% and contraindicated were 0% and also disease wise drug interaction analysis were carried out during the study results, more number of drug interactions reported in central nerves system followed by diabetes mellitus. Outpatient visits resulted in minimal numbers of clinically important drug-drug interactions, these interactions can have significant implications due to medication-related morbidity and mortality. Pharmacists can play a critical role in managing the medication therapy of patients at risk for clinically important drug-drug interactions.