Drug-drug interactions in patients with schizophrenia and depression in outpatients at PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Purpose: To identify possible drug-drug interactions in patients with schizophrenia and depression in the Outpatient Department at PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital. Additionally, the relationships between patient characteristics and drug interactions were investigated.Methods: A descriptive observational design and a longitudinal approach were used. The study which was conducted at PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital for one year, was based on medical records of patients and interviews. Consecutive sampling was utilized to generate a sample size of 81 patients with schizophrenia and depression who met the inclusion criteria. The data were evaluated by examining the occurrence of drug-drug interactions and by performing a bivariate chi-square statisticaltest to determine the relationship between patient characteristics and actual drug-drug interactions.Results: This study identified 93 cases of drug interactions, 63.44 % of which occurred pharmacodynamically, while 36.56 % occurred pharmacokinetically. The intensity of drug interactions was categorized as major (31.18 %), moderate (63.44 %), and minor (5.38 %). The 93 drug interactions encompassed precisely seven actual types of interaction. Bivariate chi-square analysis revealed that gender was a major factor associated with actual drug interactions.Conclusion: There were 93 drug-drug interactions, with gender being an influencing factor.