A computerized screening program for potential drug-drug interactions was developed and used to screen geriatric patient drug profiles maintained by a pharmacy serving 132 nursing homes. The computer program reviewed the profiles of 11,173 patients for potential drug-drug interactions. Drug interactions were selected for review on the basis of (1) reported clinical severity, (2) involvement of drugs frequently prescribed for geriatric patients, (3) the interactions being listed in Evaluations of Drug Interactions, and (4) the drugs involved being included in the pharmacy's formulary. Of thc446 potential interactions reported as clinically significant, 362 had sufficient data in the patient profiles to he included in-the study. These interactions involved 298 patients, 2;7% of the population. The interactions were categorized into 25 interacting- drug groups, which then were ranked according to the number of interactions occurring for each group. Although, with preliminary screening, 80.4%" of the 362 potential interactions studied would have indicated only a need for close patient monitoring, discontinuation,or reduced dosage of at least one of the drugs would have been appropriate for 9.1% and 4.7%, respectively. The computer program is capable of screening for selected potential drug interactions and is compatible with the ongoing computerized patient profile system used by the pharmacy.
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Armstrong et al. (1980) studied this question.