Drug-related problems identified in patients attending primary healthcare centers in Jordan

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are important medication management issues that are associated with adverse health outcomes. Limited studies have assessed the frequency of DRPs in primary healthcare in Jordan. The present study aimed to apply an innovative approach to identify DRPs utilizing a pretested survey. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to assess the presence of DRPs among attendees of several primary healthcare centers in Jordan. A pretested survey was used to identify DRPs in a user-friendly, simple way, and the identified DRPs were classified using the Hepler and Strand classification system. Factors associated with having a DRP were assessed using logistic regression analysis. The present study included 582 patients. Among the patients included, 59.4% had at least one DRP. The most frequently encountered DRPs were patient-reported ineffective medicine (28.7%) and non-adherence to medications (21.4%). Independent predictors of having a DRP were patients who attended the healthcare center for a routine checkup (odds ratio 2.112, P < .001) and those who were prescribed multivitamins (odds ratio 2.882, P = .044). Knowledge about medication indication for all medications was a protective predictor of having a DRP as opposed to no knowledge about the medication indication (odds ratio 0.134, P = .010). Our results highlighted that the use of this simple survey helped identify DRPs within the healthcare centers, and indeed, it documented the significance of the DRPs in primary healthcare centers, as such efforts are highly recommended for increased provision of pharmaceutical care interventions in this healthcare setting.