Potential drug-drug interactions among outpatients with chronic diseases at an Indonesian teaching hospital

Purpose: To determine potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) among outpatients with Chronic Diseases and their correlation to patient’s age, number of drug(s), and clinic visited. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The data were collected from prescriptions of outpatients with chronic diseases at Prof Dr Chairuddin P Lubis Universitas Sumatera Utara, an Indonesian teaching hospital in 2023. Interactions were identified by the Lexicomp® Drug Interaction Checker. Data were analyzed statistically and presented as numbers and percentages. Correlation between variables was carried out using the chi-square test in SPSS V22.0. Results: The results showed 1405 PDDIs from 313 patients. Most PDDIs based on interaction mechanism, severity, and reliability were pharmacodynamic, moderate, and fair. Cardiovascular, internal medicine and psychiatric outpatient clinics contributed the most PDDIs. Statistically, there was no correlation between patient’s age and clinic visits to the number of PDDIs. Meanwhile, the amount of drugs correlated with PDDIs was significantly stated by a p-value of 0.000. Conclusion: High percentages of PDDIs are found among outpatients with chronic diseases. The more drugs on the prescription, the more PDDIs result. Hence, the healthcare team participates in preventing drug-drug interaction.