Polypharmacy and Potential Drug Interactions in Hemodialysis Patients at Hospital X

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing hemodialysis frequently receive multiple medications to manage renal complications and comorbidities, increasing the risk of polypharmacy and potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs), which may compromise treatment safety and effectiveness. This study aimed to analyze the association between polypharmacy and the occurrence of pDDIs among CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis at Hospital X. A retrospective analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of 110 CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis between February and April 2026. Potential drug–drug interactions were identified using the Medscape Drug Interaction Checker. Data were analyzed descriptively, while the associations between polypharmacy, age, sex, comorbidity status, and pDDIs were evaluated using the Chi-square test or Fisher's Exact Test, with a significance level of p<0.05. Polypharmacy was identified in 71.8% of patients, while hyperpolypharmacy occurred in 24.5%. Potential drug–drug interactions were detected in 91.8% of patients, with 387 interaction events identified. Pharmacodynamic interactions accounted for 56.6% of all interactions, and Monitor Closely was the most common severity category (55.6%). Fisher's Exact Test demonstrated a significant association between polypharmacy and pDDIs (p<0.001), whereas age (p=0.159), sex (p=1.000), and comorbidity status (p=0.222) were not significantly associated with pDDIs. These findings indicate that increasing medication burden substantially elevates the risk of potential drug–drug interactions in hemodialysis patients, highlighting the importance of routine medication review and clinical pharmacist involvement to optimize pharmacotherapy and improve patient safety.