Drug-related problems among medical ward patients in jimma university specialized hospital, south west Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: The increasing number of available drugs and drug users, as well as more complex drug regimens lead to more side effects and drug interactions and complicates follow-up. A drug-related problem can be defined as an event or circumstance involving drug therapy that actually or potentially interferes with desired health outcomes. The majority of hospitalized patients had drug related problems. The number of drugs used and the number of clinical/pharmacological risk factors significantly and independently influenced the risk for drug related problems. Objectives: To assess drug-related problems and associated farctors in hospitalized patients. Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study design was employed. The study was conducted in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Jimma, which is 345 Km from South west of Addis Ababa. All patients who were admitted to medical ward from February 5 – March 21, 2011 were included in the study. Data on socio-demographic variables, past medical history, past medication history, current diagnosis, current medications, vital signs and relevant laboratory data were collected by using bed side patient interview guided semistructured questionnaire and data abstraction formats for card review. The data were analysed by using SPSS version 16 for windows. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabs, chi-square and logistic regression were done. Result: Out of 257 study participants 189(73.5%) had drug-related problems. From patients with drug-related problems a total of 316 drug-related problems were identified. From the six classes of drug-related problems studied, 103(32.6%) of the drug-related problems were need additional drug therapy followed by high dosage 49(15.5%). Unnecessary drug therapy 49(14.9%), low dosage 44(13.9%) and ineffective drug therapy 42(13.3%) were the other classes of problems identified. Among the studied drug-related problems, non-compliance 31(9.8%) was the least prevalent drug-related problem. Independent factors which predicted the occurrence of drug-related problems in study population were sex, age, polypharmacy and clinically significant potential drug-drug interaction. From the study population 42(16.3%) had clinically significant potential drug-drug interaction. Conclusions: The prevalence of drug-related problems was substantially high(73.5%). Furthermore, all classes of drug-related problems were common. Clinically significant drugdrug interactions were more common among admitted patients with in the study period. II Recommendation: For a better delivery of health services with regard to patient care and management clinical pharmacist should be assinged to internal medicine wards. Drug therapy regimens which contain anti-tuberculosis drugs should be evaluated for clinically significant drug-drug interactions.