Naslov
Prevalence of potentially serious drug-drug interactions among South African elderly private health sector patients using the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović-Palčevski protocol

Autori
Van Heerden, Julandi A. ; Burger, Johanita R. ; Gerber, Jan J. ; Vlahović-Palčevski, Vera

Izvornik
International Journal of Pharmacy Practice (0961-7671) 26 (2017), 2; 156-164

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Mimica-Matanović/Vlahović-Palčevski protocol, older people, pharmaceutical, claims data, potentially serious drug–drug interactions, South Africa

Sažetak
Objectives To determine the prevalence of potentially serious drug–drug interactions (DDIs) and their relationship with gender and age, among elderly in South Africa. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted using pharmaceutical claims data for 2013, for a total of 103 420 medical scheme beneficiaries’ ≥65 years. All medications dispensed within one calendar month where the days’ supply of medication dispensed overlapped, were grouped as one prescription. DDIs per prescription were then identified using the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović‐Palčevski DDI protocol. Results were interpreted using effect sizes, that is Cramér's V, Cohen's d and Cohen's ƒ2. Key findings A total of 331 659 DDIs were identified on 235 870 (25.8%, N = 912 713) prescriptions (mean 0.36 (SD 0.7) (95% CI, 0.36 to 0.37)). Women encountered 63.5% of all DDIs. Effect sizes for the association between DDIs and age group (Cramér's V = 0.06), and gender (Cramér's V = 0.05) was negligible. There was no difference between men and women regarding the mean number of DDIs identified per prescription (Cohen's d = 0.10). The number of medicine per prescription (ƒ2 = 0.51) was the biggest predictor of the DDIs. The most frequent interacting drug combinations were between central nervous system medicines (30.6%). Conclusion Our study is the first to report the prevalence of potentially serious DDIs among an elderly population in the South African private health sector utilising the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović‐ Palčevski DDI protocol. Overall, we identified DDIs in approximately 26% of the prescriptions in our study. Age and gender were not found to be predictors of potentially serious DDIs.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA