A case of adverse drug reaction induced by dispensing error

To report about a case of acute renal failure due to absence of communication between physician and patient.

A 78 year old man with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) accessed our hospital and was brought to our attention in August 2011 for severe renal failure. Clinical history revealed that he had been taking highly active antiretroviral therapy with lamivudine/abacavir and fosamprenavir since 2006. In April 2011 due to an augmentation in creatinine plasma levels, a reduction in lamivudine dosage to 100 mg/day and the prescription of abacavir 300 mg/day became necessary. Unfortunately, the patient took both lamivudine and abacavir therefore the association of the two medications (lamivudine/abacavir) lead to asthenia and acute renal failure within a few days.

This case emphasizes the importance about how physicians must pay very careful attention during drug prescription, most particularly, as far as elderly patients are concerned. In fact, communication improvement between physicians and patients can prevent increase of adverse drug reactions related to drug dispensing, with consequential reduction of costs in the healthcare system.