A survey on drug-related hospitalization in a community teaching hospital

We retrospectively studied 2,695 patients admitted to the Department of Medicine over a 10-month period in 1990 to determine the incidence of drug-related hospitalization. A drug-related problem was identified as the primary cause of hospitalization in 109 (4.0%) admissions. The incidence was significantly greater in the elderly group as compared with the non-elderly group (5.2% vs 3.2%). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hypoglycemic agents, herbal medicine, adrenocorticosteroids and antihypertensive drugs were most often involved. The five most common adverse events were upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding, skin rashes, hypoglycemia, hypercorticism and hepatitis. Iatrogenic disease was fatal in 2 cases. Patients used drugs without medical supervision in 45 cases. In view of the increasing complexity of modern pharmacotherapy and the popularity of self-medication in our society, educational efforts should be enhanced for medical professionals and the general population to reduce the risk of drug-related hospitalization.