Evaluation of drug-drug interactions in hospitalized patients at Sociedad Española de Beneficencia

Background: drug-drug interactions are a frequent cause of adverse drug reactions, the use of more than 5 drugs is significantly related to serious interactions. Comorbidities in patients have precipitated the frequency of polypharmacy, which produces an enhanced incidence of morbidity and mortality, hospital stay and costs. Materials and methods: 50 records of hospitalized patients were analyzed in the period from May to July 2019, a search for drug interactions was carried out with the help of Medscape Drug-Interactions Checker and the Drugs Interactions Checker. Results: 68% of the records presented at least one pharmacological interaction, the majority associated with musculoskeletal pathology and abdominal pain syndrome (45 and 29%, respectively). On the other hand, 48% of the interactions were related to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the use of opioid pain relievers combined with sedatives or anesthetics. Conclusions: there is a significant incidence in drug interactions, most of them related to poor pain management, however, it is essential to know the pathophysiology of each patient's disease, and to understand that the benefit must be greater than the risk when indicating the best therapy for the patient.