Drug related problems among Lithuanian community pharmacy patients

Abstract

Drug-related problems are common everywhere, where the drugs are used. It can cause severe health problems, can reduces the quality of life, may result morbidity and mortality 1,2. Adverse drug reaction, adherence, polypharmacy is the problem based. All drug – related problems are classified into seven main categories 3. The pharmacist as a final gate keeper is the one who is the last to detect errors and prevent them. During the period 2017 April - August at a random selected community pharmacy 620 patients were selected for medication review. All together they had 1634 third form (with compensation) and 1156 first form (without compensation) prescription and also 434 non-prescription (self-medication) items. The inclusion criteria – the use of more than 3 medications and agreement to participate in a survey. 1 questionnaire and pharmacist review of their medication were provided for each patient. Also document analysis method was applied and Lexicomp® Drug Interactions checker was used to check drug - drug interaction. The result of the study showed, that the biggest part of prescription had a drug-drug interaction (91%, n=569). The severity of moderate interaction was the common (88%, n=504), also it was interaction severity mini (7.6%, n=43) and also it was found major severity interaction (3.8%, n=22). [...].